"Zerzura means literally a starling, but is a term often loosely applied to any small bird. Assuming the name to be derived from this source, it would have some such meaning as "the place of little birds", a name that seemed of such a fanciful nature that it appeared to me unlikely to be applied to any definite place, and, taken in conjunction with the somewhat mystical character of the stories, with which the oasis was associated, I concluded that either no place of that name ever existed, or, which seemed more likely that Zerzura was a generic name applied to any unknown or lost oasis,..."
(Mysteries of the Libyan Desert - W.J. Harding King, 1925)

Harding King made an agreeable mistake: "Zerzura" is applied to some definite places in the Arabic world. Here and there, from Morcocco to Syria, from Egypt to Sudan. By searching the NIMA place names data base it is strigthforward to ascertain that about 109 place names related to the same etymology of the Legendary Zerzura exist in the Arabic World (or better: related to the same Arabic rooth or which sound like as originated from the same Arabic rooth). In many case it is exactly Zerura. Nothing particularly strange but this fact was unknown to the "classic Zerzura hunters of the '30" (i.e. Almasy, Bagnold, Wingate, Harding King & others) only because they did not have access to the modern electronic data-bases. The best geographic tool Count L.E. De Almasy could have ever browsed at his time was barely represented by a compilation of about 200.000 places names while the total modern place names list of the Arabic world carefully catalogued by the United Nation Committee for Geographic Names totals over 5.000.000 places names!
The existence of a little more than 100 "Zerzura" allows a nice game to be played by travellers and tourists willing to tour the Arabic countries, I mean the systematic visit and documentation of the many places belonging to the "Zerzura place-names family", possibly taking notes and pictures of road sign, plaques, plates, monuments, ruins, graffiti or whateverelse could be there in place and is related to these place names. Some of the "NIMA Zerzura" are Populated Places (PPL), some are Hills (HLL), other are wadis, i.e. different geographic entity and this fact explains why some Zerzura repats at short distance at certain locations: obviously a Zerzura Wadi could be present near a Zerzura Hill or town.

Since each place-names on the NIMA list came withcoordinates, it is possible to use a GPS device to get there and now GPS are extremely cheap and incorporated in every kind of gitzmos. A project similar to The Degree Confluence Project could be envisaged. Please let me know if you will visit any of the places from the following list. If you will send me your pictures and a brief report, possibly also a picture of the GPS on the spot, I will post them on Terramata (but feel free to post it on any other web site you could prefer but, please, let me know and do not forget to add a link to the present page).

The game could last for a very long period... Tens of years given the wars plaguing the continent, even centuries (I am very sorry about that!). In fact, in addition to some Zerzura located near five stars resorts and tourist spots, which I hope will be an easy prey for you, there are many more hard to reach "Zerzura". Some of them are within the most dangerous areas of the World. Some are found in Saharan or Sahelian regions where land mines or tribal warfare pose a big and longlasting deadly threats to visitors. Anyway we hope that even these region will a day revert to a peaceful and safe existence allowing the Zerzura maniacs to look for their personal Zerzura and also visit all the other possibly more wonderful things that certainly exist nearby.

The Zerzura Hunt of the Third Millenium should be an eco-friendly game, respectful of the local cultures. It will be self-instructing; the majority of the westerners that each year visit the Arabic countries and their African neighbors do not know the Arabic language nor do they read the Arabic alphabet. At the levels of road mark it is not difficult to learn the Arabic alphabet by using simple transliteration tables you should alway carry on your 4x4 cars or backpack. Bilingual road marks could be used as self-teaching exercises. Non-bilingual road marks, very frequent in Egypt and Libya, could be used as examen-tests.

Good luck!

By clicking HERE you can download the kml file compiled from NIMA data to visualize the following Zerzurae on GoogleEarth or upload them to your GPS for a lucky navigation:

Zarzar, Zarzoura Aine, Zarzoura Kef, Zerzera Kifane, Zerzira Koudia, Zerzoua, Zerzoua Oued, Zerzour Djebel, Zerzour Djebel, Zerzour Hassi, Zerzour Koudia, Zerzour Mechtet, Zerzour Oued, Zerzour Oued, Zerzous Oued, Zerzer Bahr, Zerzoura, Zerzoura A, Zarzarya Gezeritel, Zarzariyah Jazirataz, Zarzur Komel, Zarzurah Izbat, Zerzariya Geziretel, Zurzur Kawmaz, Zanzur, Zanzur, Zarzar Wadi, Zarzun Kak, Zarzun Wadi, Zarzur Cafez, Zarzur Chescemez, Zarzur Uadiez, Zarzur Uadiez, Zarzur Wadiaz, Zarzur Wadiaz, Zerzer Uadi, Zurzur Kafaz, Zurzur Khashmaz, Zurzur Wadi, Zurzur Wadiaz, Zurzur Wadiaz, Zurzur Wadiaz, Zerzaia, Zerzola, Zerzoum Jebel, Zarzur, Zerzerai, Zurzur, Zarzouna, Zarzour Oued, Zarzoura, Zarzuna, Zarzunah, Zerzaia, Zerzour, Zerzour Ainez, Zerzour Chabetez, Zerzour Henchirez, Zerzour Oued, Zerzour Oued, Zerzour Ouedel, Zerzour Ouedez, Zerzour Ouedez, Zerzour Ouedez, Zurzur Aynaz, Zurzur Wadiaz, Zurzur Wadiaz, Zurzur Wadiaz, Zurzurah, Zarzour, Zarzour, Zarzour, Zarzour Ain, Zarzour Ardez, Zarzour Jebel, Zarzouri, Zarzur, Zarzuri, Zurzur, Zurzur, Zurzur, Zurzur, Zurzur Ardaz, Zurzur Ayn, Zurzur Jabal, Zurzuri, Zarzuq Wadiaz.

TABLE

AG= ALGERIA, CD=TCHAD, EG=EGYPT, LE=LEBANON, LY=LYBIA, MO=MOROCCO,
NG=NIGER, NI=NIGERIA, SU=SUDAN, SY=SYRIA, TS=TUNISIA

ADMN=ADMINISTRATIVE, HLL=HILL, MDN=MOUND, MT=MOUNTAIN, PASS=PASS,
PPL=POPULATED PLACE, RDGE=RIDGE, RUIN=RUIN, SPNG=SPRING, WAD=WADI