• Tech

Google Street View Now Rides Camel-Back Into the Arabian Desert

1 minute read

For adventurous types who are short on sunscreen, Google Maps has just extended its street view deep into the Arabian Desert.

The trek cuts a narrow path through the Liwa desert, 150 kilometers southwest of Abu Dhabi, winding through an endless stretch of sand dunes measuring upwards of 40 meters in height. But the coolest feature is possibly the view straight down to the ground, where a silhouette of Google’s streetview camera can be seen mounted atop a camel’s back.

“We hope this collection gives you a glimpse of what it may be like to travel the desert as caravan merchants have for the past 3000 years,” Google wrote in a statement. Well, provided you can ignore the state-of-the-art 3D camera casting its shadow across the sand.

Google Street View Captures the Monuments of Ancient Egypt

The Great Sphinx and the Pyramids of Giza.
The Great Sphinx and the Pyramids of Giza. Click here to view in Google Street View.Google
The Great Pyramid Khufu in Giza.
The Great Pyramid Khufu in Giza. Click here to view in Google Street View.Google
The Pyramid of Khafre in Giza.
The Pyramid of Khafre in Giza. Click here to view in Google Street View.Google
The Cathedral of Saint Mina in the Western Desert near Alexandria.
The Cathedral of Saint Mina in the Western Desert near Alexandria. Click here to view in Google Street View.Google
The Monastery of Saint Mina in the Western Desert near Alexandria.
The Monastery of Saint Mina in the Western Desert near Alexandria. Click here to view in Google Street View.Google
The Cairo Citadel entrance.
The Cairo Citadel entrance. Click here to view in Google Street View.Google
The view from the Cairo Citadel terrace.
The view from the Cairo Citadel terrace. Click here to view in Google Street View.Google
The Enclosure Wall at the Step Pyramid of King Djoser at Saqqara.
The Enclosure Wall at the Step Pyramid of King Djoser at Saqqara. Click here to view in Google Street View.Google
The Pyramid of Djoser at the Saqqara necropolis.
The Pyramid of Djoser at the Saqqara necropolis. Click here to view in Google Street View.Google
The Citadel of Qaitbay in Alexandria.
The Citadel of Qaitbay in Alexandria. Click here to view in Google Street View.Google
The Hanging Church in Cairo.
The Hanging Church in Cairo. Click here to view in Google Street View.Google

 

More Must-Reads From TIME

Contact us at letters@time.com