Algerian national parks honoured with Martian namesakes

The map of Mars now contains the names of three iconic Algerian national parks, according to AFP via ArabNews.

Algerian physicist and member of NASA’s largest probe mission, Noureddine Melikechi, said Tassili n’Ajjer, Ghoufi and Djurdjura national parks all now have their namesakes on Mars.

Melikechi said: “Our planet is fragile, and it’s a signal to the world that we really need to take care of our national parks, whether they are in Algeria or elsewhere.”

Another key reason for the naming was the resemblance of the Martian landscape to Algeria’s.

Tassili n’Ajjer, a UNESCO-listed plateau in the Sahara Desert with prehistoric art dating back at least 12,000 years, was the first one that sprung Melikechi’s mind

“Every time I see pictures of Mars, they remind me of Tassili n’Ajjer, and now every time I see Tassili n’Ajjer, it reminds me of Mars,” he said.

AFP and ArabNews