Question: where is sahara desert located on the world map

title: Sahara
text: In the 16th century the northern fringe of the Sahara , such as coastal regencies in present - day Algeria and Tunisia , as well as some parts of present - day Libya , together with the semi-autonomous kingdom of Egypt , were occupied by the Ottoman Empire . From 1517 Egypt was a valued part of the Ottoman Empire , ownership of which provided the Ottomans with control over the Nile Valley , the east Mediterranean and North Africa . The benefit of the Ottoman Empire was the freedom of movement for citizens and goods . Traders exploited the Ottoman land routes to handle the spices , gold and silk from the East , manufactured goods from Europe , and the slave and gold traffic from Africa . Arabic continued as the local language and Islamic culture was much reinforced . The Sahel and southern Sahara regions were home to several independent states or to roaming Tuareg clans .