Valley of El Heiz Western Desert

Al-Haize lies beside the Black Desert, which takes its name from the pebbles which are sprinkled on the surface like burnt breadcrumbs. This is dark brown, Oligocene iron pyrite and black basalt from the early Miocene era, and formed the top crusts of the sandstone layers created in earlier ages. These pebbles are strewn over the sand together with the nummulites and limestone concretions of other geological periods.

The ruins of the Roman fortress of Qasr Masuda at al-Haiz, is one of the most northerly of the Roman garrisons in the Western Desert, built so troops could guard trade routes and monitor movement in the region.