The terrestrial morphology is full of mysterious places that humans can hardly imagine. It is not only the mountain ranges that rise thousands of meters above the surface but the large number of strange formations that impress any explorer who dares to discover them. Undoubtedly, one of the most intriguing sites, are those that descend above the earth’s surface. The uncertainty about what lies there becomes a treasure hunt for many adventurers. In Yemen, there is what many call the entrance to the underworld, the so-called Well of Hell whose depth nobody knew, until a few days ago when humans stepped on the bottom for the first time.
Prison of demons
The Well of Barhout was, until recently, one of the places that humanity had not been able to enter. The fact that no one knew its depth aroused the strangest stories about this natural formation. And it is not that no one had tried to explore it; in fact, several climbing teams had already entered the so-called Well of Hell intending to discover its secrets. However, no expedition had been able to reach the bottom due to the lack of equipment to descend to its depths.
In the desert of Al Mahra in Yemen, there is a huge hole of 30 meters in diameter called the Well of Barhout. Its eerie sight and nauseating odor, has earned it the title of the Well of Hell? The mystery surrounding this natural formation has permeated nearby regions for decades. The locals believe that it is a prison where demons called Djinns lie. For this reason, the myths and fears surrounding it have made it one of the few unexplored sites in Yemen and the world. However, this has recently changed, for the first time in history, a group of explorers descended the mysterious pit.
A long descent
Finally, the milestone has been taken by the Oman Cave Exploration Team (OCET). Eight speleologists descended to the deepest part of the Well of Hell and established its depth for the first time. According to their expedition, the shaft has a descent of 112 meters from the Earth’s surface, and they did not find any Djinns.
What they did find were dozens of dead birds, as well as live snakes that have made the pit their habitat. But there was no indication of the nauseating odors described by the locals. The cave is also formed by the so-called gray cave pearls, which are small spheres that form in the water when calcite salts are deposited in layers around a larger body. These create beautiful gray spheres that settle in the depths of the caverns.
The mystery of the Well of Hell does not seem to have any supernatural nature, but it is a great natural formation worthy of admiration. However, the team of speleologists took samples of water, rocks, soil, and some dead animals to determine the conditions of the bottom of the well. These samples will be taken to the laboratory for further analysis and a report that will shed more light on the mystery of the Well of Hell in Yemen will be published.
Text and photos courtesy of Ecoosfera
Translated by María Isabel Carrasco Cara Chards
