Syrian Desert

The Syrian Desert is described as an arid wasteland by Merriam Webster. Covering much of Iraq, Jordan, Saudi Arabia and Syria, the region is marked by lava flows and was an impenetrable barrier to humans until recent decades. Now, highways and oil pipelines cross the region, which receives less than 5 inches (125 mm) of rain annually, on average.Humans were able to reach parts of it in ancient times, though. One area, now dubbed Syrias Stonehenge, was discovered in 2009. It includes stone circles and possibly, tombs, according to a 2012 Discovery News report.The Es Safa volcano field near Damascus is Arabias largest volcanic field. The vents found in that area were active about 12,000 years ago, during the Holocene Epoch. More recently, a boiling lava lake was spotted in the region around 1850.