Modern Mysteries

Cavers venture deep into Yemen's 'Well of Hell'

By T.K. Randall
September 28, 2021 ·  11 comments

Like something out of a dark fantasy movie, The Well of Barhout (otherwise known as 'The Well of Hell') descends 112 meters beneath the desert of al-Mahra province in eastern Yemen.

Its unusually circular entrance, which measures 30 meters in diameter, gives it the appearance of a bottomless pit with few locals willing to venture too close to the edge for fear of falling in.

There are some who even believe that it is the gateway to the underworld itself.

Now though, for the first time, cavers from the Omani Caves Exploration Team (OCET) have managed to successfully reach the bottom of the well, revealing what actually does lie inside.Far from finding the entrance to Hell, however, the intrepid explorers reported finding waterfalls, stalagmites, cave pearls, snakes and a number of dead animals that had fallen inside.

"Passion drove us to do this," said geologist and team member Mohammed al-Kindi.

"And we felt that this is something that will reveal a new wonder and part of Yemeni history."

Whether the team's findings will dispel local myths surrounding the well, however, remains to be seen.

Source: Live Science | Comments (11)

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