Country Niger | ||
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Similar Loma Mountains, Serra da Leba, Aïr Mountains, Great Escarpment - Southern, Gabal El Uweinat | ||
The Blue Mountains ((French): Montagnes Bleus, Tamasheq: Izouzaouene, Izouzaoenehe) are a mountain range in Niger in the northeastern section of the Aïr Massif, about 100 km ENE of the town of Iférouane and 30 km NE of the Tezerik oasis. Isolated from the main Massif by dune seas of the Erg of Ténéré and a flat gravely Desert pavement plain, the rocky outcrop from the desert rises to a height of 924m, almost 300m over the surrounding topography. The area is in Aïr and Ténéré National Nature Reserve, which is a UNESCO World Heritage Site. The mountains themselves are also within the smaller Aïr and Ténéré Addax Sanctuary. They are characterised by cipollino marble outcroppings, which give the hills a blueish tint. Despite their relative inaccessibility, they became a tourist destination during the upsurge of desert region Tourism in Niger during the late 1990s and early 2000s.