It took months for merchants to cross the Sahara Desert, and they faced challenges ranging from natural disasters to lost caravans.[1] Travelers who ventured too far away from their caravans and got lost often died from the elements.[2] If scouts died or strayed away from their groups, the caravans would get lost in the desert and wander.[1] Even worse, natural disasters, such as sand storms or fluctuating temperatures, often forced merchants to abandon their goods to save their own lives, yet causing them to lose everything.[1] In his memoir, Battuta described the Sahara as a “desert haunted by demons.”[2]