Abourma Rock Art Site
Thousands of engravings on a remote basalt ridge in Djibouti's northwest.
Updated 3 September 2026
Abourma is a ridge of basalt in Djibouti's remote northwest carrying thousands of engravings cut into the rock over a span of several thousand years: cattle, camels, hunters, giraffe and antelope, recording a period when this desert carried grazing and the animals that went with it. The site was documented properly only in the 2000s. Reaching it means four wheel drive and then a walk over broken ground.
The main sights
- The engravings - thousands of figures cut into the basalt over millennia.
- The cattle and giraffe - animals recording a wetter, grazed landscape.
- The camels - the later figures marking the shift to desert conditions.
- The ridge - the basalt outcrop the whole site is cut into.
When to go
November to March is the cool season and the only practical window. Low sun morning and evening shows the carvings best. Summer heat is extreme.
What to expect
Access is a long four wheel drive trip plus a walk over sharp broken rock, and a guide is essential. There is no water, shade or facility. The site is unfenced and unprotected.
Nearby
Randa is southeast, and Tadjoura is south.
What to pack for Abourma Rock Art Site
Chosen from what this place is for. Tap a kit for the full checklist.
- Loose, light, long clothing - Covering up beats bare skin in the desert - and locals dress this way for a reason. Find on Amazon
- Comfortable walking shoes - Sightseeing means kilometres of pavement and cobbles daily. Find on Amazon
- A wide-brim hat + sunglasses - Shade for your face and eyes where there is none overhead. Find on Amazon
- A slim anti-theft daypack - Zips that close properly; keep it in front in crowds and on transit. Find on Amazon
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