A giant hole whose exact depth is unknown excites mystery lovers. According to local legends, it would serve as a prison for demons. Geologists do not know how to explain the origin of this well
A natural wonder of eastern Yemen shrouded in mystery, tales of demons and evil spirits, Barhout’s Well, known as the “Hell’s Well”, fascinates geologists.
About 1,300 kilometers east of the capital Sanaa, near the border with Oman, this giant hole in the desert of Al-Mahra province is 30 meters wide and is said to be 100 to 250 meters deep.
According to local folklore, it was created to serve as a prison for demons, a superstition reinforced by the foul smells that emerge from its depths. Yemeni officials say they don’t know what is there.
“Never hit bottom”
“It is very deep, we never reached the bottom of this well since there is little oxygen and no ventilation”, says Salah Babhair, director general of the local authority in charge of the geological study. and mineral resources.
“We went to visit the area and entered the well. We reached more than 50-60 meters deep and noticed some strange things inside, ”he says. “We also smelled a strange smell … It’s very mysterious,” insists the manager.
Little sunlight penetrates there and you can’t see much from the shore except the birds that come in and out of the depths. Local superstition is that objects near the hole are sucked into it.
According to Salah Babhair, the well is “millions and millions” of years old. “These places require more study, research and investigation,” he says. Over the centuries, stories have circulated about the “jinn”, often evil spirits who are said to live in the well, or that the well poses a threat to life on Earth.
For fear of curse, many inhabitants of the region are therefore reluctant to approach the vast hole and even avoid talking about it, in a country that is not lacking in tragedies.