Aviation landmarks in the Sahara

Hi & welcome tafrawti!

So glad, such great africa experts show up in this thread!

Thanks for great contribution - the "flagpole ornament" concept is one that I accept.

Please let me ask your opinion about these other structures of the Sahara! These are hundreds of meters diameter structures from Mali and Algeria with no informations or any clues so far...

In general; have a useful browsing around! ( ;

G

Well, having suggested flagpole ornaments only 4 hours ago, I'm now thinking they may be more like early aviation markers haha. I've just seen this tweet from ChrisS about the Adrar Madet circle, which I then did a bit of digging around in GE   

/photo/1  It looks like a neat flagpole surround, but I suspect it's and early nav marker. 

As well as an interest in NW Africa and the Sahara, I also have an old interest in flight simulation. In particular, I liked to plot and simulate flying using 1960s and 70s aircraft using radio beacons at night and in clouds. So this thread interests me in two ways.

So, thinking about flying, the "arrow" marks could be either be direction markers, OR simply the limit of good firm ground with no obstructions, suitable for landing an aircraft into any prevailing wind (usually determined by a ribboned drop-marker, possibly with smoke to aid visibility) The shape of some "arrow" markers are more like L-shapes, which I suspect could mark the extremes of a landable area. The ones that are truly equal length arms, could well be direction markers. 

I'd like to add a possible third type of marker not previously discussed - numbers. 


As I am familiar with the Souss-Massa-Draa region of Morocco and surrounding areas, I am aware of a "32" marking on the semi-desert floor in South Morocco - this just happens to be on the 320 degrees radial from a airstrip NE of Tindouf, Algeria and is oriented towards it flying SE out of Morocco. This "32" marking is located at 29°05'28.6"N 9°07'39.8"W    29.091282, -9.127715   link  32 marker South Morocco.kmz (1.06 KB)
It's 10 metres tall and the vertical line of the 3 is perfectly aligned with 320 degrees referenced to True North.  (forgive my unfamiliarity with best practices for giving placemarks, this being my first few hours on the forum)  

That is to say, coming FROM the Tindouf Highway Airstrip you would fly along bearing of around 320 degrees and you'd pass approximately over the "32" marking in southern Morocco - why "32" and not "320"?  Well, in aviation, runways are names after the first two digits of the runway heading for example a runway oriented 060 degrees would be called "runway 06" and marked as such in large letters at the approach end. More advanced navigation like VOR-to VOR methods this bearing would always be referred to as the "320" radial, but my hunch is that these markers long predate VOR/DME navigation *. 

Based on the hunch that this is a distant way marker to confirm to a pilot (pre-intertian navigation systems let alone modern GPS and navaids) a pilot coming from the Tiznit/Agadir/Inezgane area of Morocco would head off using dead reckonings from, say Tiznit (a good-sized walled town in the early 20th century and clearly visible from the air), cross the SW edge of the Anti-Atlas mountains and head on a compass bearing to head towards Tindouf. the "32" would be visible to the pilot as a confirmation that he is still on course for the 32 radial of Tindouf after a fair distance. This would detect a problem with a compass, or allow adjustment for wind drift, or simply provide reassurance before reaching a Point of No Return (PNR) increasing flight safety.  The coastal route down the coast from Agadir to Dakar was well travelled by French mail planes (Antoine de Saint-Exupéry flew this route) and for a long time Tiznit was approximately the limit of the French occupation of Morocco in the early 20th Century (Google Treaty of Fes for details) . So creating an early air route branching off from Tiznit seems logical to me using Tiznit (Morocco) to Tindouf (Algeria).
This is all just a guess of course, though the fact that the "32" is aligned to read perfectly to a pilot flying the route seems to suggest that this may at least be feasible. 


By using the GE distance measuring ruler tool, which handily gives a bearing as well (which is of course a Great Circle bearing referenced to True North - when you stretch it between any 2 points on the planet) I have been playing around to see what lies along the markers.

So, assuming the above to be broadly correct, I decided to take 2 examples and "follow" them to see where they ended up - the first being what appears to be a not-previously-mentioned number block (near the Adrar Madet circle), the second being what appears to be equal-length arrows (the Timetrine location) 

First example, I looked at "Circle 2" (NW end of Adrar Madet) in this thread/  Using the "straight line flight marker" hypothesis, ythis appears to be 2/3rds or the way between Oujda (NW Morocco) and N'djamena, near Lake Chad. To make that alignment, I noticed what appear to be a block of numbers on the desert floor 1200 metres from the circle, SE on a bearing of  146.5 degrees FROM  from the circle. I can't make out the numbers from GE images, but extending a line from the circle to the numbers leads to the closest point of Lake Chad, from where N'Djamena would easily be found. Just like the "32" marker  in southern Morocco, the numbers appear to be aligned to be perfectly readable flying NE from Lake Chad. 

In the reverse diection flying NE there is not a lot of major towns or cities though I noted Oujda is on the line and is definietly a major city even though it is a very long way from N'djamena (something like 1600 Nautical Miles or more!). 

Second example, the circle marker at Timetrine. The arrows on this marker can be followed using the GE distance measuring tool again, following a bearing line. 
It seems the arrows for this marker align roughly in the following directions: ESE to Lake Chad/N'Djamena, NNE to  Ain Ghar and Ain Salah (InSalah) SW to Timbuktou area, NW to El Ayoun (Layounne) For the 1920s, these would be extremely long distance routes requiring refuels along the way, but for 1940s and 1950s large multi-engine aircraft these routes would be flyable non-stop with ranges well over 2000 nautical miles.

It's possible that other interim markers are yet to be found, though modern aviation charts will be less useful because modern airway routings follow modern VOR/DME/intersection routings.
A list of air routes and refueling fields from the 30s, 40s and 50s would be very useful if anyone has any info on where to find them. Likewise, WW2-era airfields - surely there must be a list somewhere that history enthusiasts can find. It would rthen be a case of joiing the dots with lines and looking for markers along the routes. I know the French had a far-reaching telegraph system in the Sahara so presumably some remote outposts could also have served as fuel stops or markers in the 1920s and 30s. The slow, light tailwheel "conventional" undercarriage aircraft of the day would require very little space to land and take off as long as the terrain was level and ground firm and would be ruitinely operated from dirt or grass fields rather than graded runways. 

Apologies for the long post, which I admit may be rather geeky. 


(*) VOR navigations beacons only started to be installed in the 1950s and did not become commonplace until 1960s or so, especially in rural parts of the world. Also note that VOR radials are set up for magnetic bearings, not against True North, but since I'm assuming the markers pre-date VOR technology then for now I'm just looking at bearings referenced True North for simplicity since magnetic deviation varies across the globe and changes slightly with time - much too complicated for now haha

Jun 15, 2021 17:10:27 GMT syzygy said:

Please let me ask your opinion about these other structures of the Sahara! These are hundreds of meters diameter structures from Mali and Algeria with no informations or any clues so far...

I have an interest in Moroccan rock art archaeolgy south of the High Atlas range as well as Saharan ground monuments in general - some search terms that may help your research are "goulet monument" (often large oval loops with a corridor way to a focal point - I think you call them petals?) and "axle monument" / "lozenge monument" (these are the "galaxy on a side" marks). GE researchers seem to use different terms for the same things so I hope this helps a few people.

Nick Brooks is a name well worth Googling for in this field.

Thanks for the warm welcome.

...off topic...

Jun 16, 2021 0:07:51 GMT tafrawti said:

...- some search terms that may help your research are "goulet monument" (often large oval loops with a corridor way to a focal point - I think you call them petals?)...

Goulet monuments - the term and related structures are known by me. What I call "petals" are seem to be somewhat different for me. I only have found 4 sites yet I put in this new category and these are regular shape multiply enclosing structures with the tumulus in focus.

Examples:

2 "bi-petals" and a "tri-petal":
zoom.earth/#view=27.547766,-11.457692,20z/layers=crosshairs

"Tri-petal" next to a crescent monument:
zoom.earth/#view=27.219494,-11.516019,19z/layers=crosshairs

Later I will reply to your post in that other thread as well...

***
...back on topic...

No way you have to apologize for the meaty response on early aviation markers of Africa! Simply brilliant is your investigation of degrees and directions! Another point of discussion we both agree with, that the "frame - L" markers, besides are showing main directions, also could locate safely landable areas.

Many thanks for the "32 marker" site and sharing your views and concept about that, also for all the background info!


-----
p.s.: Since an ornamented flagpole stand is an aviational marker itself, I do not feel myself betrayed very much... ( :

Mar 30, 2020 6:51:49 GMT syzygy said:

ed as a well, and however now there is no sign of active wells around the location we can be sure, there were once - and this also makes sense of it's existence at last!

Now really, only one more question remains; the text - if you agree with me, not "Bou Dhib" can be read inside...



I do not want permanently reject the "date-concept" by why2k , but can it be probably some other alternate name...? BOUDIB, BOUTIB, BOUZIB, or .ZIS ?!*&@?!, ... ehh - resolution does not let us closer...
...

I believe this marker to spell "BOUZIB"

This is a constant problem and a little hard to explain easily

The cause of confusion on spelling is that the Francophone or "western" spellings of place names are transliterations of Arabic or Amazigh placenames. The alphabets and sounds do not match between the three languages, hence the need for trans-literation between alphabets. The problem is actually caused by the fact that there are letters and sounds in Arabic that do not exits in most western languages. 

The best help i can give is that you should always "say out loud what you read" then see if it fits in any way possible. If you are still confused, remove the vowel sounds and say it again. 

In this case, Bou Dhib (as named on the French map) has probably been transcribed locally as Bouzib in the marker circle. By removing vowels, this would be BDB or BZB Speaking to a local inhabitant on the ground, there is a good chance that a traveller saying a placename would be understood by not using vowel sounds. 
The reason removing vowel sound can be so useful is that if the placename is Arabic-derived, the so-called "root" of the word may be guessed. For example, the Arabic word ktab, meaning "book", has the root K-T-B. Also deriving from the same root are mektub (mektoub), "it is written" (analogous to "fate") and ktubiya "bookseller". Even without knowing much Arabic, related words may be guessed at from the sounds of the word root. 

in this case of Bou Dhib, (probably meaing "sons of Dhib" - likely a local family or tribal name) it's likely the local Arabic spelling uses either the Arabic letter ظ or ض, which is variously pronounced and transliterated as either Z sound in the back of your throat with a short tongue buzz or a flick against the teeth, OR, alternatively a D sound with a constricted throat  - a "pharangeal fricative" sound or a velarization, similar to a precursor to making gurgling noise of the back of the throat, but without actually gurlging   So Abu Dib, Bou Dhib, Boudib and  Abu Zib or Abu Dib could all be the same place.  

So, in  simple terms, the Z and D sound are similar, and exactly what the speaker (or listener)  will pronounce or transliterate it as depends on where they live and how they were brought up.

Consider the word "Ramadan" In much of the Arabic-speaking world and the western world it is spoken as "Ramadan" - with a D sound. However, in parts of Egypt, Turkey (and parts of Turkish-influenced central Asia), Mecca and Medina it is often pronounced as Ramazan with a Z sound. in the modern era, the speaker would be understood using either sound, but hundreds of years ago, before voice telephony and radio or the internet, the difference would have been suprising and possibly confusing. The rise of satellite TV with Modern Standard Arabic (MSA) TV programs, or often from Egypt and using the "Masri" dialect of Arabic, means that most speakers can interchange pronunciations depending on who they are talking to. In general, Moroccan Arabic dialect is rather different from MSA and very different from Gulf or Levantine Arabic and adds several different letter sounds and word orders, leading to much amusement and confusion when other Arabic speakers listen to a Maghrebi dialect speaker for the first time. This problem is quite noticeable with the Moroccan dialect but affects Algeria and Tunisia to a lesser extent.

 
In the Sahara, the pronounciation is patchy as sparse populations in desert areas will tend to stick with their traditional tribal pronunciations more. Some tribes split of in the early Islamic era and migrated to their current positions (from as far away as the Arabian Peninsular in some cases) so will have taken their early pronunciations with them. 
In addition, the Amazigh ("Berber") language leads to lots of loan-words and influences placenames as well as affecting local pronunciations.


Examples of phonetic spellings of placenames :-

Marrakesh, Morocco. Pronounced by locals as "Mrksh", with a short rolled "r". The A and E vowels were added by the French but the word sounds fine without them. Amazigh-derived ("Berber") placename.

Ouarzazate, Morocco. Can be spelled as Warzazat (ⵡⴰⵔⵣⴰⵣⴰⵜ), and pronounced as Wrzzt, or Wr-z-zt. Amazigh-derived ("Berber") placename)

Layounne, a city in Southern Morocco/Western Sahara. In Arabic, this would be written as the equivalent of El-Ayoun, Al ʿAīūn, or El Aaiún. Similarly, it is not too much of a stretch to say it as El Ain or El Aïn. 
(meaning: "the wells", "the sources of water"). Contrast this example with In Salah, Algeria. This can be written as Ain Salah or Aïn Salah, meaning "the good/peaceful wells"
Arabic-derived placenames with (I believe) Amazigh influence by way of the word Aïn.

Tafraoute, Morocco. Can also be spelled Tafraout or Tafrawt, can also be pronounced as "Tafrowt",  from ⵜⴰⴼⵔⴰⵡⵜ (Amazigh) meaning "water channel" or "water pipe". Close to my heart

Wrt 'parade ground flagpole rings' built by passing Legionnaires to stop them killing each other from boredom.
Recalling the locations of the small circles, I am not convinced. They’re alongside lonesome tracks or other routes (hence they get found), but otherwise are in the middle of nowhere. No forts for miles.
I have seen similar in movies and inside old forts in Morocco
Pic at the above point - nice spot with a freshwater spring.

I have worked out a location for the small Hoggar circle.
zoom.earth
And I see in my write-up from 2012 "Nearby, less well made examples had broken up [flash-flood eroded] over the years..."

Thanks Tafrawt for 'Allah, al-Watan, al-Malik' translation. Now we know.
And thanks for the Asher book link. I too read it years ago but don't remember him mentioning the aviation marker.
I just tried searching the book on google books but could not find.
If he followed the Dhar Tichit piste (as is likely since they left from Chinguetti), it may even be the much discussed Boudib one (see below).

I have to say I am not so convinced by the '32' idea. Should not the 32 be the other way round (northbound from Tindouf)?
If you were there, what was in the building/s nearby?
As I am sure you know, from the 1930s Foum el Hasn (25km away from 32) was the main border post from Moroccan to Algerian territory.
Later it was on the N1 route from Agadir via Tindouf to Dakar (avoiding Spanish Sahara). So it was certainly a key artery.

Just found the 'Icht' circle (a village north of Foum). Found already, not sure?
It is by the old aerodrome, east if Foum el Hasn.



On the Madet circle location, I cannot read numbers to the SE on Bing/ZoomEarth.

With Timetrine the arrows are oddly positioned; I go with the idea of safe landing ground limits.
While Timbuktu to the SW is bang on, to the SE, Kidal (220km; 6° off) would have been more significant that distant N'Djamena.
And NNE you'd think it would sooner point at Tessalit or Tam, rather than In Salah and El Golea, as you say.
Plus I think Layounne would not have been on the French radar, being in Spanish Sahara.
Bir Mogrein makes more sense, or better still Tindouf (way off).

Thanks for the petal tomb wpts, syzygy. Not seen these type before and the two locations you mention are not far off the road south of Tantan (though there is a risk of old Polisario War mines in this area). Very nice antennae tomb, too.
I think I just found another one - or an exotic teardrop/goulet combo - just to the north of the antennae: 
Better on Google, for once.

I was on a trip in that area last year when Covid struck.
I had to get out of Morocco quick; my bike is still near Tiznit.

Thanks for the interesting language lesson too, Tafrawt
I like the way they drop vowels out there, while the French pile them on like garlic sauce: 'Tombouctou'.
I find African-spoken French so much easier to understand than 100-mph French in France.
I remember a Moorish girl once saying 'Shn'gt' for Chinguetti. 

I agree 'Bouzib' or any name is more likely than a date.
Maybe mentioned already, but this point is on the once-important Dhar Tichit track between Nema and Tidjikja.
And on both Google and Bing/Zoom it appears in the middle of a clear, salt-pan like patch which, like the Timetrine 'square', stands out from the surrounding terrain when viewed from the air. But then, to be honest, so does the natural formation of the Dhar Tichit escarpment leading to Tidjikja.
Interestingly, another mate of mine knows this place too well.
In the 1990s he very nearly died trying to locate Aratane well while over-ambitiously attempting to ride the 800-km Dhar Tichit piste to Nema. A nomad found him.

Above all, thanks to syzygy for picking up where KenGrok left off ;-)
It's all part of the fascination of the Sahara!

Regarding the "32" marker and the "320 FROM Tindouf" discrepancy, I think a lot depends on the age/era of the marker.

This gets geeky (I'm also a radio guy and trained in radio nav systems until the 1990s era)...

If it was placed after the introduction of radio homing, the airfield doing the radio direction finding would either state their detected magnetic radio bearing FROM the airfield, requested over the radio using the QDM radio Q-code pro-word or the magnetic bearing FROM the airfield, using the QDF Q-code pro-word. eg: the radio call "Tindouf G-ABCD request QDF" means Tindouf, this is G-ABCD please Direction-Find my radio signal and give me the magnetic bearing FROM your airfield." 
It's interesting to note that QDF - "FROM" was anecdotally more commonly used in the early days for both maritime and aviation use, and the Q-code itself was chosen as suggest Q-Direction-Find.
The magnetic bearing deviation from True North is currently not much in this area of the world, around 3 degrees currently. In some parts of the world, closer to the magnetic poles  it can be very significnatly difference.

If the 32 marker was placed after the introduction of the VOR navigation scheme, (late 50s, early 60s) then the FROM terminology eg: "on the 320 radial FROM Tindouf VOR" is normal also. 
VOR beacons are also referenced to a magnetic bearing.

In this case, the "32" marker would be akin to a VRP - visual reporting point - in the modern world they are placed on a radial FROM the destination field and the pilot will call the ATC and state his VRP location eg: "Newcastle tower this is G-ABCD inbound for landing, at 5 Bridges"

This is due to the fact that the VOR system readout in the aircraft has a TO/FROM flag. It is absolutely vital the pilot makes a very clear distinction if he is measuring TO or FROM the VOR beacon (and hence why it is habitially stated in capital letters at every occurence - even habitually by me !) because if they think they are going TO but actually gpoing FROM a beacon they are heading the wrong direction - easily fatal in 1960s aviation and very dangerous today. Fuel starvation on even a short leg over unlandable terrain can be fatal anywhere never mind the deep Sahara. VOR measurments are usually stated FROM the beacon. 
see: 

for the TO/FROM significance

 
pause this video and you will see the compass circle around the VOR on the chart stating the radial bearings and the airway routes leading off on those radials. These are stated as radials FROM the VOR beacon. 

 
demonstrates VOR to VOR naviagation, as you would use from 1960s to early 2000s aircraft.  
Especially pertinent is the statement at 6:48 - explaining the significance of the radial being quoted as being FROM the beacon


But why the use of a VRP or visual "32" marker when you have a VOR beacon to navigate with?
Well, even on approach to normal civilian airports in peaceful times, VRPs are used to confirm to both the pilot and ATC that the a/c is where it says it is. It is a visual check to make sure that nothing is wrong and noone is confused. Such double-checks are common in aviation, a tactic learned by 100 years of bitter experiences. In a featureless word or one where one ridge of mountains looks like any other (and the greater Jbel Warkziz area certainly fits this description) then without a VRP as a double-check then you are relying 100% on a VOR system and the associated human factors of knob-twiddling and the mental concept of where you are and what the VOR instument is telling you in the cockpit.
A second reason is military constraints near sensitive airspace - it's rather common to have strict condition imposed on arriving aircraft in times of increased tensions. 

Even in recent years Algeria places strict conditions on UN flights in the Tindouf area and insists they enter their airspace over a given position only. See a recent (2019) NOTAM for Tindouf :

Q) DAAA/QPFCA/IV/NBO /AE /000/999/2742N00810W
A) DAOF
B) 21/05/19 07:48 C) 21/06/19 08:15
E) EVERY FLT OF MINURSO/U.N OR OPERATING FOR UNITED NATIONS TO ENTER ALGIERS FIR MUST BE COMPULSORY PROCEED VIA POINT PK 40 GEO COORD : 2720N00840W FL 70 THE FLW POINTS 2739N00840W AND 2734N00810W ARE COMPLETELY WITHDRAWN

This funnels all UN flights through a certain position for identification purposes. 


VOR can also be used for IFR flight - in layman's terms, that's flying blind in cloud where you can't see the ground. In IFR conditions case, it will be the ONLY navigation method other than DR - Dead Reckoning (fly in a bearing and speed for a given time, hope not to die or drift with the wind too much, or estimate drift if possible)

Dead Reckoning navigation is rather scary in a rural area like the Sahara. Which is precisely why the "circle" waypoint markers (no name, in remote areas between long legs of flight) seem to have been developed.
It's also why the airfields/landing grounds have names across their circles - it's quite common to read 1930 and 1940s accounts of pilots landing at an aaerodrome they have seen from above to ask where they are. This even happened at enemy airfield in WW2 with subsequent capture of aircraft and crew - multiple times.  

Current-era navigational charts are of no use at all in our quest for markers as routes have changed - probably dramatically so with the introduction of routing direct between very distant airfields and long-range aircraft since the 1920s. Hopping from one oasis to another was probably commonplace in the 1920s, but by 1945 you could fly direct across half the continent in some aircraft. 


I think it would be helpful to group GE aviation markers into several eras as their appearance, intended usage and even existence *(numerical marker relevance in italics) will have changed over time as new technology was introduced -  not just navigation tech, but also the increased range and safety aspects of aircraft being introduced. 

Broadly speaking, we could be looking at:-

Pioneering aviation - 1903-1920s era.PROBABLY NO MARKERS EXCEPT LOCATION NAMES PAINTED ON BUILDING ROOFS OR ON THE GROUND - "land and ask directions from a local" is the norm. Flight by visual reference to ground only at first, but DR Dead Reckoning nav gradually introduced for cross-country flights. Short fuel range and slow airspeeds but 200 to 250 miles range is normal by 1918 for Farman F70 and Breguet 14. No or few passengers or cargo, except airmail letters. Aéropostale is founded 1918.  

1920s-1935 approx -  CIRCLE MARKERS WITH NAMES, POSSIBLY WITH CIRCLE-ONLY WAYPOINT MARKERS *SLIGHT POSSIBILITY OF NUMERICAL GROUND MARKERS - but unlikely twin-engine safety and increased range and payloads. DR still the only real nav method for cross-country flight poor visibility or confusion. RDF homing gradually introduced. ADF invented (around 1929). NDBs become common with manual DF on aircraft the norm. Airmail common, some passengers and small cargo. Ranges of 400 nautical miles become common. Latécoère 28 has massive range of 2900 nautical miles

1935- 1945 approx - CIRCLE MARKERS WITH NAMES, CIRCLE-ONLY WAYPOINT MARKERS,  on long or risky legshigher performance era, driven by onset of WW2. Ranges increase dramatically. Non-directional radio beacons introduced widely.  *RDF homing Manual DF on aircraft. NDBs common. Automatic DF fitted to some newer aircraft only. 

1945 - late 1950s  CIRCLE MARKERS WITH NAMES ON THE GROUND, CIRCLE-ONLY WAYPOINT MARKERS, *POSSIBILITY OF NUMERICAL GROUND MARKERS. Long distance and high payload now the norm. 2000 nautucal mile ranges a reality. *RDF homing, Manual DF on aircraft, gradual introduction of automated DF on many larger civilian aircraft. Many WW2 era aircraft in use sold as surlpus fopr passenger conversion and cargo.
  
1960s- 1970s  CIRCLE-ONLY WAYPOINT MARKERS STILL IN USE. *POSSIBILITY OF NUMERICAL GROUND MARKERS. VOR beacons on ground and introduction of VOR receivers on newer aircraft.  ADF the norm for on-aircraft DF.  Still some late 1940s era aircraft in use for cargo. Inertial navigation becomes available on new airliner aircraft only

1970s to 1980s CIRCLE-ONLY WAYPOINT MARKERS STILL IN USE, PROBABLY UNOFFICIALLY. *POSSIBILITY OF NUMERICAL GROUND MARKERS.  Inertial navigation on new airliners only.
Many 1950s era aircraft still flying cargo and some passengers using original nav equipment without upgrades

1980s to 1990s. Few or no new ground markers needed, other than VRP points (usually they are large buildings or unique landscape features on approaches (the classic "chequerboard" marker at Hong Kong is rare exception) Intercontinental ranges the norm. Still some rare late 1940s era aircraft in use for cargo. Some 1950s era in regular cargo use. 1960s aircraft flying passengers are common in rural parts of the world - using original nav equipment with few upgrades.

Early 1990s - Few on no ground markers in use. NDB/VOR/DME is the norm and with inertial navigation common only for larger commercial aircraft.

Mid 1990s - Few on no ground markers in use current GPS/GNSS becomes common. NDB/ADF, Approach Marker radio beacons, VOR/DME will still be in use for some decades for older aircraft. 

Jun 16, 2021 16:02:40 GMT chriss said:

Wrt 'parade ground flagpole rings' built by passing Legionnaires to stop them killing each other from boredom.
Recalling the locations of the small circles, I am not convinced. They’re alongside lonesome tracks or other routes (hence they get found), but otherwise are in the middle of nowhere. No forts for miles.
I have seen similar in movies and inside old forts in Morocco
Pic at the above point - nice spot with a freshwater spring.


<snip>

I have to say I am not so convinced by the '32' idea. Should not the 32 be the other way round (northbound from Tindouf)?
If you were there, what was in the building/s nearby?
As I am sure you know, from the 1930s Foum el Hasn (25km away from 32) was the main border post from Moroccan to Algerian territory.
Later it was on the N1 route from Agadir via Tindouf to Dakar (avoiding Spanish Sahara). So it was certainly a key artery.

Just found the 'Icht' circle (a village north of Foum). Found already, not sure?
It is by the old aerodrome, east if Foum el Hasn.

<various snips>
With Timetrine the arrows are oddly positioned; I go with the idea of safe landing ground limits.
While Timbuktu to the SW is bang on, to the SE, Kidal (220km; 6° off) would have been more significant that distant N'Djamena.
And NNE you'd think it would sooner point at Tessalit or Tam, rather than In Salah and El Golea, as you say.
Plus I think Layounne would not have been on the French radar, being in Spanish Sahara.
Bir Mogrein makes more sense, or better still Tindouf (way off).

I've covered the "32" and FROM significance in a seperate post above, as it's long and complicated, though I've put the eras of different markers in larger print on the end of that post as it's diretly relevant to the tech in use at any given time. Unlike cars, computer or mobile phones, aircraft have very long service lives and equipment is not easily upgraded (due to type approvals and especially high cost of new tech compared to aging airframes). 

32 local area information:
Although I am very familiar with the general "32" area the closest I've been to the marker is on the main road between Tagdicht and Icht/Foum el-Hasn. Ironically, just to the north of the road at that point are rock carvings at Adrar Zerzem, located almost precisely on the opposite side of the road from the "32" marker. The carvings site is signposted from the road and there is a track leading to two buildings as the track curves over the ridge north of the road (a museum/display of the carvings is located within the buildings, though I've not seen inside).   
ZE link to Adrar-n-Zerzem rock carving area and museum buildings, north of the main road and opposite side of the open valley plain to the "32 marker"
If I ever get back to Morocco post-Covid (sigh) then I will certainly drive over to the marker and have a look at it - I'm unsure of what the building is adjacent the 32 marker. 

I asked around the last few times I was last in Tafraoute what the significance of the 32 marker could be, suspecting an aviation link, but made discrete enquiries about a military unit connection - especially Goumiers or Legion.  I was told that noone had any idea what the 32 could signify. 

The closest Legion presense I know of is the engineering unit that built the 1920s North-South road that was marked as the only N-S around on older Michelin maps - and probably still is knowing Michellin! This is a road that was built from the Izerbi area down to close by the 32 marker, coming out near Tagjgalte (Tagoujalt - and note that Amazigh placenames also seem to be quiet at home swapping consonant order around or even omitting them - again, phonetic "just say what you see" pronounciation is helpful) I think this old road is in one of the Gandini guides along with mentions of the location of a triagular Legion forts/stockade still just visible at
 zoom.earth/#view=29.213015,-9.113114,19z No flagpole circle visible haha - you're probably right!
Armoured cars and a flying column of Legionaires was used by France to put down a tribal rebellion in the 1920s in this whole extended area of the Anti-Atlas (the Kerdous Massacre is still bitterly remembered locally)
I can find no correlation to Legion or Goumiers, nor (by asking around verbally, politely and discretely of course) any other more recent Moroccan Armed Forces (FAR)  and the "32" number. In addition, the 32 is located on at the edge of flat ground/slightly rising and not on the convenient steeper part of the hill nearby (metres away) where it would be more visible as a unit insignia. My initial guess when I saw it was that it was a Legion insignia marker built as the end of their road-building task, but I realised this not fit in with the Legion's REI engineering units. Unless anyone has better info?
 
The 32 also seems to be across the gradient, oriented sideways rather than placed to be readable from the bottom of the slope - based purely on the visible narrow animal tracks contouring the slope corner nearby
These tracks are from probably centuries of camels caravans (if lower down - camels do not like slopes!) or mule tracks (who don't mind slopes at all) or possibly the ancient animals roaming and grazing the hills that he 3000-year-old carvings depict across the other side of the modern road. Note that the limited resolution GE elevation mesh data means that ground level elevation measurements are rather unreliable in the short distances we aer talking aboot here between the level valley floor and the slope of the hill - the gaps in tyhe "chicken wire mesh" measurements are too wide, and at best - likely to have been plotted by radar form a Space Shuttle flight - see - www2.jpl.nasa.gov/srtm/. Also that elevation data, satellite imagery and absolute coordinates ver quite match up so some fudging is alwawys needed, especially for elevation data in GE. 

I forget the local name for these tracks that help us suggest slope contours, but when I remember it I'll edit this post accordingly. Camels walk using a very narrow gait and stones are gently displaced over the years by their hooves leaving traces visible on sat imagery that many people assume are sheep or cattle tracks, yet they are extremely prevalent on some caravan routes of loose stony desert. The mouth of this valley (Assif Sayyid) was the entry point of an old and little-used trade route connecting this "32" area to Assa. 


So, after 5 or more years of thinking and asking around locally, I can't think of any other possibility than a 1930s-1970s era aviation marker/VRP. Uncertainty on the bearing is compunded by magnetic deviation changes, though these will be slight. Exact bearing will of course dependon where the radio/beacon facilities were at Tindouf (if indeed, it's intended for Tindouf at all !!!)

I assume that any direct flights Morocco to Algeria were permanently terminate since around 1976 hostilities. 

Offtopic somewhat, but maybe useful if you are close to the 32 marker
A very pleasant new road bypasses this old Legion road with the Southern 2/3rd of the route with excellent tarmac and comes down well-engineered tight bends to Ighmir (Ihgir on some maps)  
for someone's 2017 drive down it before it was capped with tarmac in 2018 - and into the deep lower Smougen gorge, continuing joining the wider lower Assif Tamanart valley to Tamanart Commune and Ait Herbil near the Tagdicht to Icht road. This lower section of the old gravel track has been recently (2018) heavily upgraded to run above the wadi floor - the previous road was Unimog/Bedford-only only for a week or two after normal rains and the piste totally destroyed every 7-10 years by major floods. It's now all-season tarmac, often well above above the riverbed level with only a few wadi paved crossings/splashes and you can be in Tamanart in not much over 2 hours or so after leaving Tafroute in 2wd saloon car if you drive at non-tourist speeds. 

I'm being very verbose about the 32 because with ChrisS here this thread may now attract some on-the ground travellers and not just GE armchair explorers  -  Morocco is quite accessible outside of recent Covid problems, especially compared to Algeria and Mali. From nearby experience of the terrain the "32" is possibly accessible by an experienced desert driver in an unprepared rental 2WD Duster (at entirely your own financial risk of course, they won't be pleased if you break it and it it has a GPS tracker then will know where you broke it too haha - our last cheapo- rental Duster from Agadir had a camera to clock the driver's face mounted discretely in the upper console cubby-hole ! Possibly only collision-activated)
Just as long as you're careful about crossing the wadi from the main road - you might have to walk from here if the riverbed is too lumpy or entry/exit too steep due to rains.  



Timoutruine:
My observations of bearing from the arrow/frame markers at Timoutrine were just guides for lines to search around for other intermediate markers. Any routes would depend on the era it as placed of course, as that would affect the predominant routes at the time based uponm ranges. Crawling the GE/ZE mapping along these lines is the next step when I get time.  It seems strange the arrows are far from rectangular at this location. It may be due to the size /dimension constraints of the load-bearing part clay pan though if they are landable area markers. Modern publications like the UK CAA's CAP637 are of no use at all for markings like these are they are refer to the modern era.
I'll have to see if I can lay my hands on some old African charts or publications over the coming months or years that may give use some clues to routes. I would imagine most pilots that flew using the markers are long dead by now
I'm guessing that would have been determined not by local trade, but by airmail routes and these would change over time with the increased range of aircraft.

Jun 16, 2021 16:02:40 GMT chriss said:

Just found the 'Icht' circle (a village north of Foum). Found already, not sure?
It is by the old aerodrome, east if Foum el Hasn.

That reminds me, old airfield names circle markers are visible at a few southern Moroccan airfields - I have the KMZs, but not at this computer today,  I'll post them when I find the files again. I forgot to post them yesterday morning All seem to date from the early half of the century, as the landing strips closer to the border created for military use in the 1970s and 80s do not have them (eg: Akka has one, but the mil one Akka South does not)

Ifni's is not visible, if it ever existed (in Spanish control until 1969) . Mirhleft's circle (in French control until independence the 50s) has been recently built over but was clearly visible until just recently.

Akka and Taroudant are visible I think; and maybe one other I found (could have been Icht/Foum el Hasn I'm thinking of)

SW Morocco airfield markers attached as promised - not quite in the true Sahara but these would be on the fringes of semi-desert areas and give a useful indication of what style of field markers were in use -  probably at least until Moroccan independence in the 1956.

I've bundled Icht in the kmz, posted earlier by ChrisS. for completeness. Total of 4 found so far though I've only really looked around the Anti-Atlas area

Attachments:

SW_Moroccan_airfield_markers - Akka Tarouda....kmz (1.6 KB)

Great additions to this thread, I am just delighted!

Many thanks for you two, chriss and tafrawti  joining this community and keep flooding wisdom around with your quality contributions! ( :

As I have noted in PM, recently I cannot do the required kmz edits and detailed replies on my phone, but I am to return full equiped asap!
(Tonight I plan to do a brief reply in the other, archaeo thread as well.)

It is a great pleasure to know such experts around also I take It an honor that I can welcome you here on GE Forums - not only for armchair explorers! ( ;

Have a useful browsing and please, keep up posting!

With best regards,

G

Edit:
New kmz folder for Morocco added. 3, classic circle markers for Icht, Mirleft and Taroudant, the Akka airstrip and the '32' marker are now included. - Updated kmz file attached to original post.

Jun 16, 2021 11:18:44 GMT tafrawti said:

Mar 30, 2020 6:51:49 GMT syzygy said:

ed as a well, and however now there is no sign of active wells around the location we can be sure, there were once - and this also makes sense of it's existence at last!

Now really, only one more question remains; the text - if you agree with me, not "Bou Dhib" can be read inside...



I do not want permanently reject the "date-concept" by why2k , but can it be probably some other alternate name...? BOUDIB, BOUTIB, BOUZIB, or .ZIS ?!*&@?!, ... ehh - resolution does not let us closer...
...

me, previously: I believe this marker to spell "BOUZIB"

I can now confirm it is indeed BouZib in the text. 

"The Fearful Void", a book by Geoffrey Morehouse mentions it very specifically including the Z-spelling (I mistakenly thought it was in Michael Asher's book, Impossible Journey - my apols to anyone who dusted off a copy of Asher's book in error - though I suspect that many a traveller would actually thank me for that suggestion - Asher is probably the world's most knowledgeable living westerner for practical camel transport!  Geoffrey Morehouse, however, travelled this area in around 1972 and claimed the airfield to have been "disused for 20 years".
 


In other news:

A. The southern Morocco "32" marker seems to be approximately 32 Nautical miles from the border with Algeria (which is very poorly defined, but 32NM certainly reaches a riverbed close to where the border is assumed to be, possibly/maybe, haha)

B. The empty-circle marker in Niger near Adrar Madet in the Ténéré appears to have (when I squint my eyes properly) "580" on a radial that heads towards Lake Chad - specifically N'giugmi, which is approximately 580 kilometres from the marker.

(Nautical miles are used by much of the world for aviation distances in the modern era, though km were more common for most of European aviation, certainly in the early half of the last century. Some parts of the world still use metric measurements, notably CIS/Russia and some former Soviet bloc countries)

Jun 16, 2021 16:02:40 GMT chriss said:

With Timetrine the arrows are oddly positioned; I go with the idea of safe landing ground limits.

I stumbled upon this French 1934 Saharan Tourisme hanbook which clearly shows that the "corner" angles are indeed landing area limits - some fields have a strangle shape including internal angles 

Shell Sahara Guide 1934-1935 Season

I was one who scanned the Impossible Journey online for ‘Bouzib’, without success, so that is 15-20 mins you owe me ;-)
As you say, Moorhouse was not in the calibre of Asher and his Mrs, but I do have my old copy of Fearful Void and it took 2 mins to find.

“And this was, for a moment in time, the justification for Bou Zib’s existence: to provide me with a tiny mental exercise in the clogging tedium of my journey…”

I have to say I am not convinced by the ‘Nautical Milestones’ explanation to somewhat obscure places, but when I rent my car I will make sure I stick some gum over the camera!

Great find with the 1935 Shell Guide pdf.
I bought myself the 1955 copy recently – the last edition and a piece of Sahara tourism history,
but I understood the pre-war ones were more aviation focussed and was planning to get one too.
So I have my 20 minutes back ;-)

As you say, the Shell sketches of the airfields have those distinctive corner markers, as well as stone circles, sometimes with the place name.

Excellent work Gentlemen!

Thank you chriss and tafrawti providing printed evidence about right spelling of the inscription and after one and a half year, have served proof for the existence of this French colonial airfield:

BOU ZIB - (OP has been edited)

This piece of mistery now has been solved, your interesting and useful discussions are still the very best welcome!


------------------

I just cannot spot the "580" (or anything that I could see "580") around the Adrar Madet circle... would you help to locate the exact imagery feature you mention?

Jul 16, 2021 11:14:47 GMT syzygy said:

I just cannot spot the "580" (or anything that I could see "580") around the Adrar Madet circle... would you help to locate the exact imagery feature you mention?

cerrtainly - sorry for delay I'm often completely out of internet access 

580 near Adrar Madelt circle marker

Yeah, the one at >>18.73296703, 10.37035792<<

I have already came across on ZoomEarth, where it exactly looks like a small tree with its shadow:

(aligned to North)

And as it can be seen on GE imagery, where resemblance of a three digit number (580 or 586) cannot be missed:

(aligned to read "580" horizontal)

Thanks for your interesting observations on this! 

Very strange indeed.

Jul 16, 2021 11:14:47 GMT syzygy said:

...Thank you chriss and tafrawti providing printed evidence about right spelling of the inscription and after one and a half year, have served proof for the existence of this French colonial airfield: BOU ZIB...

...and finally a 4/2024 Airbus imagery update also has arrived to desktop Google Earth*, showing the somewhat blurry, still readable inscription - BOUZIB
(*still it is in low resolution on GMaps)

coordinates: >>18.353, -8.1444<<

(slightly enhanced screenshot)


Q.E.D.

( :