The Associated Press

This September 2012 photo shows The Great Sand Sea, 28,000 square miles of rolling dunes along the northern edge of the Sahara, one of the main attractions of a visit to the Egyptian oasis of Siwa, a Berber town of some 27,000 people roughly 450 miles (about 725 kilometers) southwest of Cairo. The palm tree-lined area is known for its quiet charm, ancient ruins, abundant natural springs, a vast salt lake and rolling sand dunes in the surrounding desert. (AP Photo/Kim Gamel)