Qattara Depression

[kuh-tahr-uh]

noun

1. a desert basin in the Libyan Desert, in northwestern Egypt: lowest point is 435 feet (133 meters) below sea level. 6,950 square miles (18,000 square kilometers).

Qattara Depression

/ kəˈtɑːrə /

noun

1. an arid basin in the Sahara, in NW Egypt, impassable to vehicles. Area: about 18 000 sq km (7000 sq miles). Lowest point: 133 m (435 ft) below sea level

Word History and Origins

Origin of Qattara Depression¹

First recorded in 1925–30; from Arabic Qaṭṭārah “dripping”