Time freezes in the Lasgail Caves, Somaliland
The age of these works ranges between five and ten thousand years
The residents of the area surround it with a lot of sacredness and warn the young ones not to climb into it
About one hour from the capital of Somaliland, Hargeisa, on the way towards the port city of Berbera, and after deviating west near the village of Tobato, you find yourself in front of a shallow and somewhat wide valley, followed by a lattice wall that extends for several kilometers left and right, and behind its gate Simple find a small building similar to the chapels scattered in the country's countryside.
You will be greeted by a number of smiling old men from the people of the region, to take you on a tour that requires quite a bit of physical effort, so that you can climb the hill behind the building, about half a kilometer away, to climb the steps made without great proficiency, where visitors can pass over the large blocks of granite rocks, all the way to To formations of the rocks themselves, which take the form of giant umbrellas and shallow caves, and murals of great beauty and precision unfold before your eyes, in addition to gaps carved in them, known as the Lasgail Caves. Despite the fineness of the sculpture, no one can answer its purpose until today.
Five to ten thousand years
Although the inhabitants of the region knew about the existence of these caves, and the drawings and carved cavities they bear, they surrounded them with much sacredness, and continued to warn the young ones against going up to them, as they are places with ancient history, or spots and traces indicating peoples who perished, or related to stories and legends related to Jinn and spirits, which have changed the beliefs of people in this region over the centuries.
The drawings indicate that the people who inhabited this land relied on grazing cows for a long period of time (The Independent Arabic)
And on documenting the antiquities of the region, the researcher in history, Mahd Muhammad, points out that "the arrival of a French archaeological team came as a culmination of the efforts made by Somali archaeologists, led by Muhammad Ali Abdi, who held the position of surveyor in the antiquities sector at the Ministry of Tourism for a long time, and his efforts were crowned with success in 2002, when he was able to The French team conducted the necessary studies to estimate the age of these works and drawings, estimating them to be between five and ten thousand years old, and the role of the Somaliland archaeologist, Dr. And it is no less important than the Lasgail region, such as Taqah Kouri, Good Nabi Gli and Temblin.
record for life
Abdul Razzaq Abdullah Hassan, a tour guide residing in the area, says, "Looking at the drawings, you can see that the people here wanted to use these caves as a record of a regular and stable life, full of connection to the sky. Most of the drawings indicate that those who inhabited this land relied on grazing cows for a period of time." Their lives are long, and their lives are related to their life cycle and seasons. On the one hand, you see a man in beautiful clothes standing in front of a huge cow, and raising his hands to the sky, in documenting a ritual devotional movement that indicates thanks and gratitude, while in another cave you see a man and a woman witnessing the life cycle of their cow.
Hassan adds, "The drawings do not only represent the pastoral aspect of human life on this land, but also bear indications of the life of hunting and traveling. In one of the caves, scenes depicting the main tools such as the bow and arrows, as well as prey represented in antelopes, as well as a herd of five dogs following their owner, To help him hunt and protect.
These caves were used as a record of regular and stable life
He points out that the paintings "are not devoid of indications of environmental change and the land's tendency to dry out, so that the wonderful scene includes drawings of camels that may be the oldest in the world," saying that "all of these paintings are vibrant, and almost convey movement and sound in their accuracy and connotations, and despite their In its simplicity, we are facing a scene of human life on our land that time freezes in front of it.
Attention and care
Regarding the efforts made to take care of the archaeological area, Muhammad says, "The area is dry, pastoral and sparsely populated, which contributed greatly to its protection, in addition to the aura of mystery and prestige bestowed upon it by the people of the region, but opening it to tourists' visits may lead to damage to it, if this was done in an unfair manner." "There is no doubt that there are efforts in this regard with the support of the European Union, and we hope that much of what is required will be achieved in the future."
He points out, "There are plans to spend seven million dollars, with the aim of paving the road leading to the area, developing a building to receive visitors, and improving the wall surrounding the site, as well as services for visitors. Young tour guides of both sexes have been trained to provide explanations about its importance, but we hope that the plans cover all aspects." environment, and study the nature of the materials used in the drawings, to protect them from any effects that may be caused by the expected increase in visitors.”
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