Eight Bells Hills

Topographic outlier of the Gilf Kebir plateau, Egypt
Eight Bells Hills is located in Egypt
Eight Bells Hills
Eight Bells Hills
Location of Eight Bells Hills
LocationEgypt
The aerodrome of Eight Bells Hills

Eight Bells Hills or Thamaniyat Ajras (Arabic: ثمانية أجراس) is a topographic outlier of the Gilf Kebir plateau in the extreme southwestern corner of Egypt. The site, a NW–SE striking line of eight flared hills of Palaeozoic sandstone, is located in the New Valley Governorate at an elevation of 731 m.[1]

An airfield, used during WWII by the RAF, is located near the hills with the runway markings still visible. It is marked by empty tins, many with their paper labels still intact. The need for a landing area in this remote part of Egypt was due to the importance of the Libyan oasis of Kufra. Intermediate landing grounds were required to store petrol and two of these, Eight Bells and Bir Terfawi, 200 km to the east, were established by the Long Range Desert Group.[2]

A meteorite was found In the area of Eight Bells in 2016.[3]

References

  1. ^ Remarks to the geological origin of Eight Bells Hills Retrieved 20 October 2023.
  2. ^ Description of Eight Bells spot Retrieved 20 October 2023.
  3. ^ The Thamaniyat Ajras meteorite Retrieved 20 October 2023.