Case file · Folklore / legend
The Well of Barhout descent
Yemeni lore calls the 112 m-deep sinkhole of Barhout in al-Mahra a prison of jinn and an entrance to hell. On 15 September 2021 the Oman Cave Exploration Team reached its bottom for the first time.
2021 CE · 17.34, 52.44 · status: explained
The account
Local people feared to approach it or speak of it, and stories said it gave off a stench and swallowed objects. The cavers found waterfalls, cave pearls, snakes, frogs and dead birds.
The sceptical view
The bad smell came from dead animals; the team reported nothing unusual.