Silithus Silithus forms the southwestern corner of Kalimdor . It can only be reached by traveling to the northwestern corner of Un ' Goro Crater , where a wide path extends out of the crater and into Silithus . Silithus is one of the bug - infested sections of southern Kalimdor . This area houses a section of the once great Aqiri empire , known as Ahn ' Qiraj . It is currently uninhabited , but the central temple is sealed off by the night elves , who attempted to prevent an infestation from breaking out . Judging by the ruins in the area , as well as the massive Silithid colonies , they were unsuccessful in their attempt . The Cenarion Circle maintains a constant presence in Silithus at Cenarion Hold . From here , they monitor the Silithids , whom some believe to be a force so powerful and threatening that the Alliance and Horde must ally to combat it . In addition to the Cenarion Druids , a second , more ominous presence has recently made itself known in Silithus . The bronze dragonflight , Nozdormu ' s brood , has returned to the desert for the first time in ten thousand years . Silithus has been fleshed out as a major quest hub with episodic storylines that extend into its depths and past its borders . The redesign of this zone includes a high - end outdoor quest area for solo players , while 5 - man groups can tackle outdoor raid bosses . The repeatable quests can lead to epic items as a casual alternative to raid dungeons . In Patch 1 . 12 , objective based world PvP was introduced into Silithus . A new crystalline substance called " Silithyst " has been discovered , and both the Horde and Alliance have taken an interest in it . Players collect the dust where they can , but must be careful they are not ambushed by opposing faction members before they can make their drop - off . See The Silithyst Must Flow for details . History . Silithus has for thousands of years held the prison of the Qiraji , trapped behind the Scarab Wall in the aftermath of the War of the Shifting Sands . The Qiraji ' s servants , the silithid s , have since multiplied and spread across southern Kalimdor . Seeing this , the night elves decided to reopen the Gates of Ahn ' Qiraj to put an end to the Qiraji threat once and for all . Cataclysm . It seems the cataclysm had no effect on Silithus . The landscape , quest , enemies , and NPCs have been left unchanged . However , it is worth mentioning that the non - instanced Ahn ' Qiraj has become a separate zone , . Geography . This huge desert lies in the southwestern tip of Kalimdor . The rock and sand terrain is broken up only by the massive hives of the silithid . Silithus is the location of two raid dungeons , the Ruins of Ahn ' Qiraj and the Temple of Ahn ' Qiraj . There are also several micro dungeons . Though there are no battlegrounds in this area , there is some outdoor PvP available . Maps and subregions . Topographic map of Silithus Map of Silithus pre 1 . 8 Notable Characters . Silithus is home to several characters of note . At Cenarion Hold , Commander Mar ' alith seeks information about his missing wife , who was last seen in the company of the silithid . At Bronzebeard Encampment , Rutgar Glyphshaper helps him unravel the mystery and inquires as to the whereabouts of the famous explorer Brann Bronzebeard . And at the Ravaged Twilight Camp , Highlord Demitrian has a mission of great importance to the most experienced heroes - face off against Prince Thunderaan and defeat him . Resources . Silithus is a desert stretch of land , arid and hostile . Miners will find various spots of Thorium ore all over the area , both small , rich and ooze - covered , above ground and in tunnels wherever the Silithid have dug their hives .