Desert Colossus

The Desert Colossus is the name of a vast, secluded desert in Ocarina of Time, situated at the rear of the Haunted Wasteland, far out of Hyrule's boundaries and even those of the Gerudo's Fortress, the nearest civilization to the region. It can only be accessed by those who possess the "eye of truth". The Desert Colossus, while a name for this isolated desert, is also the name of the artistic stone carving of a female "goddess" upon the face of the Spirit Temple, and the title of the similar Buddha-like female statue within the main room of the temple itself.

Trials and Navigation
In order to enter the massive desert, Link must first venture through the two trials of the Haunted Wasteland. The first trial is the River of Sand, meaning Link must either use the Hover Boots or the Longshot to safely get across the river of quicksand. After crossing the river, the young hero must then follow several flags to reach a stone structure that leads to the the second trial: the Phantom Guide. Using the Lens of Truth while on top of the monument reveals a Poe that will guide Link into the Desert Colossus itself.

The Goddess of the Sand
The most prominent feature of the desert is a a giant monument known both as the Desert Colossus and the Goddess of the Sand. Located inside the Goddess of the Sand is the Spirit Temple, which serves as the headquarters of Nabooru, the leader of the Gerudo and second-in-command to Ganondorf, in order to conduct experiments in brainwashing people.

The enormous statue is a vast carving into the face of the Spirit Temple believed to have been made by the Gerudo to represent their Goddess of the Sand. Before Ganondorf gained entrance to the Sacred Realm and took the Triforce of Power, this ancient stronghold was the secret hideout for him and his followers. During his seven year reign as ruler of Hyrule, the ancient building became the base of operations for his surrogate mothers, collectively known as Twinrova.

When Link first enters the Spirit Temple located inside the Goddess of the Sand itself, he finds that he cannot go in further than the first chamber since both the west and east entrances are impassable. Sheik appears before him as the young hero exits the temple and teaches him the Requiem of Spirit, the melody necessary to access the Desert Colossus as a child and successfully enter the first half of the Spirit Temple.

Oasis
The Desert Colossus is home to an oasis located just west of the Spirit Temple. At first, the oasis is dried up, but rapidly fills after Link plays the Song of Storms on a small rock platform nearby. Fairies will also sprout up from the filled oasis, serving as a Fairy's Fountain of sorts where Link can return to heal his injuries at any time.

On the opposite side of the oasis is a Great Fairy's Fountain; however, its entrance is blocked off by a cracked wall. Link can reveal the fountain by simply bombing the wall; the Great Fairy inside will give Link Nayru's Love, a magical, impregnable barrier that can be activated about Link in times of heavy damage, battle, or dangerous situation.

Trivia

 * In Twilight Princess, the room that houses the Mirror of Twilight contains a statue that is very similar to the Desert Colossus, as does one of the larger, torch-based rooms within the Arbiter's Grounds dungeon itself.