Tanezrouft is the Algerian and Malian desert region regarded as one of the Sahara’s most barren areas.
The name is commonly connected with a Tamasheq expression meaning “land of thirst,” reflecting the region’s extreme scarcity of water. Tanezrouft is a vast stony plain rather than a classic field of high dunes. Its surface includes gravel, rock, and eroded plateaus, with very little permanent vegetation.
The area lies in the central Sahara and has long been one of the most difficult sections of trans-Saharan travel. Historic routes depended on carefully spaced wells and knowledge of reliable water sources. The town of Reggane, in Algeria, is associated with the northern approach to this harsh environment.
Tanezrouft is sometimes confused with the Ténéré, a sandy region farther east in Niger. Both are parts of the Sahara, but they are separate geographic areas with different landscapes and locations.