ART: THE LAAS GEEL OF SOMALIA

The Laas Geel of Somalia

Laas Geel are cave formations on the rural outskirts of Hargeisa, Somaliland, situated in the Maroodi Jeex region of the country. A major tourist attraction, they contain some of the earliest known cave paintings of domesticated African aurochs (Bos primigenius africanus) in the Horn of Africa. Laas Geel’s rock art is estimated to date somewhere around circa 18,000 BC or 20,000 years ago. Filled with petroglyphs, these caves are one of the oldest monuments of the ancient culture in Africa. In an excellent state of preservation, the rock art depicts wild animals and decorated cattle (cows and bulls). They also feature herders, who are believed to be the creators of the paintings.

Although the Laas Geel rock art had been known to the area’s inhabitants for centuries, its existence only came to international attention after the 2002 discovery by French archeologists. Somaliland in general is home to numerous such archaeological sites and megalithic structures, with similar rock art found at Haadh, Gudmo Biyo Cas, Dhambalin, Dhagah Maroodi and numerous other sites.