{{Short description|Mountain range in Egypt, Libya and Sudan}} {{Infobox mountain | name=Mount Uwaynat | other_name= {{lang|ar|جبل العوينات}}<br/>''Jabal al-ʿUwaināt'' or ''Gabal El ʿUwaināt'' | map=Egypt#Libya#Sudan#Africa | map_caption = Location in Africa | label_position = none | image=Jebel Uweinat.jpg | image_caption=Mount Uwaynat on the border of Egypt, Libya and Sudan | country=[[Egypt]], [[Libya]], [[Sudan]] | region= | geology= | highest= | elevation_m=1895 | elevation_ref=<ref>{{Cite web |title=World Ribus – Sahara Desert Ranges |url=https://worldribus.org/sahara-desert-ranges/|access-date=2024-12-26 |website=World Ribus}}</ref> | prominence_m=1266 | listing=Ribu | range_coordinates = | length_km= 30 | length_orientation= | width_km= 25 | width_orientation= | coordinates = {{coord|21|55|N|25|01|E|type:mountain|format=dms|display=inline,title}} }} '''Mount Uwaynat''' or '''Gabal El Uweinat''' ({{langx|ar|جبل العوينات}} ''{{transl|arZ|DIN|Gabal El ʿUwaināt or Jabal al-ʿUwaināt}}'', Arabic for 'Mountain of the springs') is a mountain range in the area of the [[Egypt]]ian-[[Libya]]n-[[Sudan]]ese [[tripoint]]. Because of thousands of [[Prehistory|prehistoric]] [[rock art]] sites, it is considered an important witness to the development of early [[pastoralism]] in the Sahara.<ref name=":0">{{Cite web|last=UNESCO World Heritage Centre|date=2004-06-04|title=Jebel Ouenat technical report|url=https://whc.unesco.org/en/news/55/|access-date=2021-05-24|website=UNESCO World Heritage Centre|language=en}}</ref>

== Cultural significance == The area is notable for its prehistoric rock carvings, first reported by the Egyptian explorer [[Ahmed Hassanein|Ahmed Pasha Hassanein]]—the discoverer of Uweinat, who in 1923 traversed the first 40&nbsp;km of the eastern side of the mountain, without reaching the end.<ref name="be515" /> Engraved in [[sandstone]], thousands of [[Petroglyph|petroglyphs]] are visible, representing [[lion]]s, [[giraffe]]s, [[ostrich]]es, [[gazelle]]s, [[cow]]s and small human figures. According to a technical report of [[UNESCO]], "Thousands of rock art sites of different styles and themes are distributed all over the area, [attesting] to the development of early pastoralism in Africa and exchanges among different ethnic groups across the Sahara."<ref name=":0" />

==Geography== Mount Uwaynat lies about 40&nbsp;km S-SE of [[Jabal Arkanu]].<ref name=be515>Bertarelli (1929), p. 515.</ref> The main spring called Ain Dua lies at the foot of the mountain, on the Libyan side. The western foot (located at {{coord|21|52|29|N|24|54|16|E|}} according to Hassanein) is 618 m high, and overcast with giant boulders fallen because of erosion. In general, the western slope constitutes an oasis, with wells, bushes and grass.<ref name=be515/>

The western part of the massif consists of [[intrusion|intrusive]] [[granite]], arranged in a ring shape of some 25&nbsp;km [[diameter]], ending in three valleys ([[wadi]]s) towards the West, named Karkur Hamid, Karkur Idriss and Karkur Ibrahim. Its eastern part consists of sandstone, ending in Karkur Talh. In Karkur Murr, there is a permanent oasis (''[[Guelta]]''), called Ain El Brins (Bir Murr).

In the sandstone part, four [[Plateau|plateaus]] emerge from the level of the surrounding desert: the Hassanein plateau, connected to an unnamed plateau through a narrow neck, the Italia plateau and another unnamed plateau. The highest point of Uweinat is on top of the Italia plateau. There are two [[cairn]]s on the top; the first was erected by [[Ralph Alger Bagnold|R.A. Bagnold]] and the second by Captain Marchesi, both in the 1930s.<ref name="be516">Bertarelli (1929), p. 516.</ref>

[[File:Uweinat en.png|thumb|Topographic map of Djebel Uweinat]]

== Exploration == *[[Ahmed Hassanein|Ahmed Pasha Hassanein]]—The discoverer who first published its existence on his 1923 map. *[[Prince Kamal el Dine Hussein|Prince Kamal al-Dine Hussein]] (son of [[Hussein Kamel of Egypt|Hussein Kamel]], [[Sultan of Egypt]]) *[[Ralph Alger Bagnold]]—Founder of the [[Long Range Desert Group]] (LRDG) and desert explorer *[[Pat Clayton]]—LRDG and Egyptian Government Survey *[[László Almásy]]—Hungarian desert researcher *[[Hubert Jones|Hubert W. G. J. Penderel]] *[[Leo Frobenius]] *Hans Rhotert *Prinz Ferdinand von Lichtenstein *Mahmoud Marai (who co-discovered the Yam Inscriptions near the southern end of the mountain in 2007)

==Sources== *{{cite book |last=Bertarelli |first=L.V. |title=Guida d'Italia, Vol. XVII |publisher=Consociazione Turistica Italiana|location=Milano |year=1929|language=Italian}}

==References== {{Reflist}}

==External links== *[https://web.archive.org/web/20111025092125/http://saharasafaris.org/hassaneinbey/ngs1924article.htm Story of the discovery of Oeunat as written by the discoverer in National Geographic Magazine 1924] *[https://whc.unesco.org/archive/2004-ouenat.pdf UNESCO World Heritage, ''Jebel Ouenat Technical Report'', 2004] *http://www.fjexpeditions.com/frameset/uweinat.htm *http://www.gilf-kebir.de/set2/2_01.htm *http://www.archaeoafrica.de/G_Auenat.html {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20060928072940/http://www.archaeoafrica.de/G_Auenat.html |date=2006-09-28 }} *[http://www.fjexpeditions.com/frameset/uweinat_inscription.htm The 'Yam Inscriptions' of Pharaoh Montuhotep II] *[http://www.uweinat.com/ The Libyan desert] - website with general information

{{Mountains of Libya}}

{{Major African geological formations}} {{Authority control}}

[[Category:Mountain ranges of Libya|Uweinat]] [[Category:Mountain ranges of Egypt|Uweinat]] [[Category:Mountain ranges of Sudan|Uweinat]] [[Category:Sahara]] [[Category:Saharan rock art]] [[Category:New Valley Governorate]] [[Category:Northern State (Sudan)]] [[Category:Cyrenaica]]