With nerves of steel, Mohammad Al Kindi descended through a 30-metre hole in the desert into the foreboding underground cave near Yemen's border with Oman.
Mohammad and a team of Omani cavers recently found out what exactly lay at the bottom of this geological structure known locally as the Well of Barhout or the Well of Hell in Al Mahra region, a mysterious place that has long been the subject of much mythology and folklore.
“Some say it is where apostates and non-believers are tortured after death," the geologist and owner of the Earth Sciences Consultancy Centre tells The National. "Others believe that their heads would be severed once they’re down there.
I was the last one to climb in and the last one to leave. I spent about six hours down there
Mohammad Al Kindi,
cave explorer and geologist
What they found may have been spellbinding, but he says neither he nor his seven teammates felt the effects of any curse.
“They say that Makkah’s Zamzam water is the holiest and purest on earth and that the water from the Well of Hell is the most evil,” he says. “All we saw was pure freshwater down there. We even drank an entire bottle and nothing happened to us!"
Mohammad says he’s always had a passion for natural formations and cave exploration.
“I live in a mountainous area. I have been visiting caves since I was a child,” he says.
But his quest into the belly of the mythical chasm was unlike any other of his adventures. “I was the last one to climb in and the last one to leave. I spent about six hours down there,” he says.
Using surveying equipment and gas detectors, Mohammad and the team found the sinkhole was indeed possessed – by normal levels of oxygen and poison-free air – and he says there was a high number of snakes.
"They procreate when there are no predators to eat them,” he explains. “That's normal."
The most magical elements he saw were the cave pearls that shone through underground waterfalls.
“Cave pearls are concentric calcium carbonate deposits that form around nuclei under falling water. These rings are smoothed by the movement of water falling for thousands of years until they form beautiful pearl shapes,” he said.
With the sinkhole steeped in local folklore, many brave Yemenis and some scientific expeditions claim to have entered and returned, but Mohammad says he saw no indications of any human encroachment at the bottom.
“There were no footprints or other signs of disturbances,” he says. “None of the prior missions there have been documented so it’s unclear whether anyone had actually gone down there, although it’s difficult to be 100 per cent certain.”
Mohammad hopes that with his visit to the bottom of the Well of Hell, his findings can dispel some of the myths surrounding the cave and other similar sites.
"I believe that the Well of Hell, known as Barhout, is a legendary cave assigned to many caves in Yemen. Now that we have gone to Khasfat Foujit, the cave should not be called by any other name than the area it is in."
To make sure there is no demonic phenomenon at other similar sites, Mohammad now plans to visit the Hadramout region in Yemen to investigate whether a similar sinkhole could hold the secrets of the underworld.
“I have no doubt that the one in Hadramout will also be normal, and even small. But with the right conditions, we will go and find out," he says.
Some of Darwish's last words
"They see their tomorrows slipping out of their reach. And though it seems to them that everything outside this reality is heaven, yet they do not want to go to that heaven. They stay, because they are afflicted with hope." - Mahmoud Darwish, to attendees of the Palestine Festival of Literature, 2008
His life in brief: Born in a village near Galilee, he lived in exile for most of his life and started writing poetry after high school. He was arrested several times by Israel for what were deemed to be inciteful poems. Most of his work focused on the love and yearning for his homeland, and he was regarded the Palestinian poet of resistance. Over the course of his life, he published more than 30 poetry collections and books of prose, with his work translated into more than 20 languages. Many of his poems were set to music by Arab composers, most significantly Marcel Khalife. Darwish died on August 9, 2008 after undergoing heart surgery in the United States. He was later buried in Ramallah where a shrine was erected in his honour.
Dust and sand storms compared
Sand storm
- Particle size: Larger, heavier sand grains
- Visibility: Often dramatic with thick "walls" of sand
- Duration: Short-lived, typically localised
- Travel distance: Limited
- Source: Open desert areas with strong winds
Dust storm
- Particle size: Much finer, lightweight particles
- Visibility: Hazy skies but less intense
- Duration: Can linger for days
- Travel distance: Long-range, up to thousands of kilometres
- Source: Can be carried from distant regions
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Where to buy art books in the UAE
There are a number of speciality art bookshops in the UAE.
In Dubai, The Lighthouse at Dubai Design District has a wonderfully curated selection of art and design books. Alserkal Avenue runs a pop-up shop at their A4 space, and host the art-book fair Fully Booked during Art Week in March. The Third Line, also in Alserkal Avenue, has a strong book-publishing arm and sells copies at its gallery. Kinokuniya, at Dubai Mall, has some good offerings within its broad selection, and you never know what you will find at the House of Prose in Jumeirah. Finally, all of Gulf Photo Plus’s photo books are available for sale at their show.
In Abu Dhabi, Louvre Abu Dhabi has a beautiful selection of catalogues and art books, and Magrudy’s – across the Emirates, but particularly at their NYU Abu Dhabi site – has a great selection in art, fiction and cultural theory.
In Sharjah, the Sharjah Art Museum sells catalogues and art books at its museum shop, and the Sharjah Art Foundation has a bookshop that offers reads on art, theory and cultural history.
Various Artists
Habibi Funk: An Eclectic Selection Of Music From The Arab World (Habibi Funk)
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Guide to intelligent investing
Investing success often hinges on discipline and perspective. As markets fluctuate, remember these guiding principles:
- Stay invested: Time in the market, not timing the market, is critical to long-term gains.
- Rational thinking: Breathe and avoid emotional decision-making; let logic and planning guide your actions.
- Strategic patience: Understand why you’re investing and allow time for your strategies to unfold.
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UAE v Ireland
1st ODI, UAE win by 6 wickets
2nd ODI, January 12
3rd ODI, January 14
4th ODI, January 16