{{Short description|Mountain range in southeastern Algeria}} {{Infobox mountain | name = Tadrart Rouge | other_name = '''تادرارت الحمراء''' | image = Tadrart Rouge.jpg | image_caption = View of the Tadrart Rouge near Djanet | highest = | elevation_m = 1398 | elevation_ref = | map = Algeria | map_caption = | map_size = 280 | label_position = right | listing = | location = SE [[Algeria]] | parent = [[Tassili n'Ajjer]] | coordinates = {{coord|23|40|17|N|10|53|26|E|type:mountain_scale:100000|format=dms|display=inline,title}} | coordinates_ref = <ref>[[Google Earth]]</ref> | geology = | age = | orogeny = }}

The '''Tadrart Rouge''' (meaning "Red Mountain") or '''Southern Tadrart''' or '''Algerian Tadrart''' or '''Meridional Tadrart''' is a mountain range in southeastern [[Algeria]], part of the [[Algerian Desert]]. The area has a rich array of [[rock art]].

==Geography== The ''Tadrart Rouge'' is a roughly 15–30&nbsp;km large and 150&nbsp;km long southern prolongation of the Libyan [[Tadrart Acacus]] into Algeria spanning to the frontier of [[Niger]].<ref>[[Malika Hachid]], Le Tassili des Ajjers. Aux sources de l'Afrique, 50 siècles avant les pyramides, 1998, {{ISBN|2-84272-052-0}}, p. 35.</ref> Primarily composed of [[sandstone]], it links the [[Tassili n’Ajjer]] in the north-west to the [[Djado]] in the southeast. The range is broken by a series of west-east oriented fossil drainage networks resulting in deep gorges. ''In Djaren'', discharging into the [[Erg (landform)|erg]] of ''Tin Merzuga'', is the most important one.<ref>Léone Allard-Huard, Nil-Sahara. Dialogues rupestres. Dialogs of the Rocks, pp. 225–239.</ref> The range reaches its maximum elevation of {{cvt|1340|m}} towards its southern end about 160&nbsp;km southeast of [[Djanet]].

Erosion has formed a large number of [[natural arch]]es.<ref>[http://naturalarches.org/tassili/index24.htm Natural arches of Tassili National Park]</ref> The area is well known for the spectacular red-orange sand dune fields contrasting with the jagged dark red rock formations of the range.<ref>''[http://sousouamal.wordpress.com/2013/03/15/la-tadrart-rouge-djanet/ La Tadrart Rouge, Djanet]''</ref><ref>''[http://touaregbachir.blogspot.com/2010/02/circuit-n1-la-tadrart-rouge.html Circuit n°1: La Tadrart Rouge]''</ref>

<gallery mode="packed-hover" heights="140" caption="Landscape of the Tadrart Rouge"> File:TadrartRouge1.jpg|Eastern slopes with its characteristic sand dunes File:TadrartRouge2.jpg|Moul n'Aga File:TadrartRouge3.jpg|Natural windows in the rock formation of La Cathedrale </gallery>

==[[Palaeoclimate]]== The ''Tadrart Rouge'' is today harsh and dry with almost no precipitation. But during the [[African humid period]] the area had rainfall and was covered by [[savanna]] vegetation and thus was suitable for human and animal life.<ref>[[Stefan Kröpelin]] et al., Climate driven ecosystem succession in the Sahara: The past 6000 years. Science 2008, 320, pp. 765–768.</ref>

==Rock art== The ''Tadrart Rouge'' has magnificent Saharan rock art covering a long chronological span from early Neolithic to recent times. Rock walls and rock shelters on wadi bottoms are dotted with both rock paintings and rock engravings, documenting climate change as the area evolved from a savanna 10,000 years ago to a desert 5,000 years ago. The rock art changed in time from wild fauna such as elephants, rhinos, giraffes, antelopes, and wild bovids, to domesticated animals such as bovids, ovicaprids, horses, and camels.

<gallery mode="packed-hover" caption="Rock-Art of the Tadrart Rouge"> File:TadrartRouge4.jpg|Giraffe with a squared pattern in red patches File:TadrartRouge5.jpg|A herd of elephants File:TadrartRouge6.jpg|Hunter with giraffes; [[tifinagh]] and Arabic inscriptions File:TadrartRouge7.jpg|Men with sticks File:TadrartRouge8.jpg|Cattle with woman File:TadrartRouge9.jpg|Wild fauna File:TadrartRouge10.jpg|Cattle and pastoral scenes File:TadrartRouge11.jpg|Animal footprints File:TadrartRouge12.jpg|Cattle </gallery>

==References== {{Reflist}}

==External links== *{{Commons category-inline}} *[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_4I2mlSmAlE La tadrart rouge. Algérie]

{{Saharan rock art}}

{{Mountains of Algeria |state=collapsed}} {{Authority control}}

[[Category:Mountain ranges of Algeria]] [[Category:Saharan rock art]] [[Category:Prehistoric Africa]] [[Category:Archaeological sites in Algeria]] [[Category:Natural arches]]