Dhambalin Rock Art
A painted shelter near Berbera with the region's earliest known images of sheep.
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The Dhambalin shelter southeast of Berbera was recorded in 2007 and its paintings turned out to matter: cattle, dogs, giraffe, antelope and, unusually, sheep, the earliest known depictions of sheep in Somali rock art. The figures are in red, white and black on the rock face under an overhang. The site is thought to be several thousand years old. Laas Geel to the west is the better known site, but Dhambalin is the more significant for what its sheep figures tell us about early herding. The two together make this region one of the richest for rock art in the Horn.
What you actually see
- The sheep figures - the earliest known depictions in Somali rock art.
- The cattle and giraffe - the other animals across the panel.
- The overhang - the shelter the paintings are made under.
- The 2007 recording - a site documented only recently.
When to go
October to April is the cooler season. Low sun morning and evening shows the paintings best. Summer heat is severe with no shade.
Honest expectations
Access needs a guide and four wheel drive on rough tracks. The site is unprotected and has suffered damage. There are no facilities.
Nearby
Berbera is northwest, and Laas Geel is southwest.
What to pack for Dhambalin Rock Art
Chosen from what this place is for. Tap a kit for the full checklist.
Opening times, ticket prices and seasonal closures change - check the official source before you go: official site.