FOTO // Oamenii au coborât pentru prima dată în „Fântâna Iadului” din Yemen; De ce se tem localnicii de gaura din deșert

Minunea naturală - care are o lățime de aproximativ 30 de metri și o adâncime de 112 - a fost mereu evitată de localnici. De secole circulă povești cu demoni și spirite malefice care s-ar adăposti aici.

Echipa de explorare din Oman a descoperit stalagmite și perle de peșteră, care se formează prin picurarea apei. De asemenea, la baza craterului au găsit șerpi și diverse animale moarte.

Puțul Barhout, cunoscut și sub numele de „Fântâna iadului” sau „Gura iadului”, îi fascinează pe oamenii de știință, care încă nu au explicații clare pentru originea sa, notează Digi24.

La aproximativ 1.300 de kilometri est de capitala Sanaa, în apropiere de granița cu Omanul, puțul Barhout este o gaură naturală uriașă, apărută în deșertul din provincia yemenită Al-Mahra, la Hadhramaut. Are o lățime de 30 de metri și o adâncime care era estimată între 100 și 250 de metri., până să fie explorată de speologii din Oman.

Gaura, supranumită „Gura iadului”, ar fi de fapt, conform folclorului local, o închisoare pentru demoni, superstiție întărită de mirosurile grele emanate din adâncurile sale.

Prin gaură pătrunde prea puțină lumină solară și nu se poate vedea mare lucru de pe margine, cu excepția păsărilor care intră și ies din adâncuri. Superstițiile locale spun că obiectele din apropierea găurii sunt pur și simplu „supte” de ea.

De-a lungul secolelor, au circulat povești despre „duhuri”, spirite rele care ar trăi în această gaură și despre faptul că „Fântâna iadului” ar reprezenta o amenințare pentru viața de pe Pământ.

A handout picture taken by the Oman Cave Exploration Team on September 15, 2021, shows the team's cavers preparing to abseil down the Barhout well, a sinkhole known as the "Well of Hell" in the desert of Yemen's Al-Mahra province. A team of Omani cavers has made what is believed to be the first descent to the bottom of the forbidding sinkhole, whose dark, round aperture creates a 30m. (100 feet) wide hole, plunging approximately 112m. (367 feet) below the surface, forming a natural wonder shunned by many locals, who believe it is a prison for genies.,Image: 633506938, License: Rights-managed, Restrictions: == RESTRICTED TO EDITORIAL USE - MANDATORY CREDIT "AFP PHOTO / HO / OMAN CAVE EXPLORATION TEAM (OCET)" - NO MARKETING NO ADVERTISING CAMPAIGNS - DISTRIBUTED AS A SERVICE TO CLIENTS ==, *** HANDOUT image or SOCIAL MEDIA IMAGE or FILMSTILL for EDITORIAL USE ONLY! * Please note: Fees charged by Profimedia are for the Profimedia's services only, and do not, nor are they intended to, convey to the user any ownership of Copyright or License in the material. Profimedia does not claim any ownership including but not limited to Copyright or License in the attached material. By publishing this material you (the user) expressly agree to indemnify and to hold Profimedia and its directors, shareholders and employees harmless from any loss, claims, damages, demands, expenses (including legal fees), or any causes of action or allegation against Profimedia arising out of or connected in any way with publication of the material. Profimedia does not claim any copyright or license in the attached materials. Any downloading fees charged by Profimedia are for Profimedia's services only. * Handling Fee Only ***, Model Release: no, Credit line: Profimedia

A handout picture taken by the Oman Cave Exploration Team on September 15, 2021, shows one of the team's cavers standing by a stalagmite at the bottom of the Barhout well, a sinkhole known as the "Well of Hell" in the desert of Yemen's Al-Mahra province. A team of Omani cavers has made what is believed to be the first descent to the bottom of the forbidding sinkhole, whose dark, round aperture creates a 30m. (100 feet) wide hole, plunging approximately 112m. (367 feet) below the surface, forming a natural wonder shunned by many locals, who believe it is a prison for genies.,Image: 633506927, License: Rights-managed, Restrictions: == RESTRICTED TO EDITORIAL USE - MANDATORY CREDIT "AFP PHOTO / HO / OMAN CAVE EXPLORATION TEAM (OCET)" - NO MARKETING NO ADVERTISING CAMPAIGNS - DISTRIBUTED AS A SERVICE TO CLIENTS ==, *** HANDOUT image or SOCIAL MEDIA IMAGE or FILMSTILL for EDITORIAL USE ONLY! * Please note: Fees charged by Profimedia are for the Profimedia's services only, and do not, nor are they intended to, convey to the user any ownership of Copyright or License in the material. Profimedia does not claim any ownership including but not limited to Copyright or License in the attached material. By publishing this material you (the user) expressly agree to indemnify and to hold Profimedia and its directors, shareholders and employees harmless from any loss, claims, damages, demands, expenses (including legal fees), or any causes of action or allegation against Profimedia arising out of or connected in any way with publication of the material. Profimedia does not claim any copyright or license in the attached materials. Any downloading fees charged by Profimedia are for Profimedia's services only. * Handling Fee Only ***, Model Release: no, Credit line: Profimedia

A handout picture taken by the Oman Cave Exploration Team on September 15, 2021, shows one of the team's cavers abseiling down the Barhout well, a sinkhole known as the "Well of Hell" in the desert of Yemen's Al-Mahra province. A team of Omani cavers has made what is believed to be the first descent to the bottom of the forbidding sinkhole, whose dark, round aperture creates a 30m. (100 feet) wide hole, plunging approximately 112m. (367 feet) below the surface, forming a natural wonder shunned by many locals, who believe it is a prison for genies.,Image: 633506933, License: Rights-managed, Restrictions: == RESTRICTED TO EDITORIAL USE - MANDATORY CREDIT "AFP PHOTO / HO / OMAN CAVE EXPLORATION TEAM (OCET)" - NO MARKETING NO ADVERTISING CAMPAIGNS - DISTRIBUTED AS A SERVICE TO CLIENTS ==, *** HANDOUT image or SOCIAL MEDIA IMAGE or FILMSTILL for EDITORIAL USE ONLY! * Please note: Fees charged by Profimedia are for the Profimedia's services only, and do not, nor are they intended to, convey to the user any ownership of Copyright or License in the material. Profimedia does not claim any ownership including but not limited to Copyright or License in the attached material. By publishing this material you (the user) expressly agree to indemnify and to hold Profimedia and its directors, shareholders and employees harmless from any loss, claims, damages, demands, expenses (including legal fees), or any causes of action or allegation against Profimedia arising out of or connected in any way with publication of the material. Profimedia does not claim any copyright or license in the attached materials. Any downloading fees charged by Profimedia are for Profimedia's services only. * Handling Fee Only ***, Model Release: no, Credit line: Profimedia

An aerial view taken on June 6, 2021 shows the Well of Barhout known as the "Well of Hell" in the desert of Yemen's Al-Mahra province. Closer to the border with Oman than to the capital Sanaa 1,300 kilometres (800 miles) away, the giant hole in the desert of Al-Mahra province is 30 metres wide and thought to be anywhere between 100 and 250 metres deep. Local folklore says it was created as a prison for the demons -- a reputation bolstered by the foul odours rising from its depths.,Image: 616925751, License: Rights-managed, Restrictions: , Model Release: no, Credit line: Profimedia

A handout picture taken by the Oman Cave Exploration Team on September 15, 2021, shows the team's cavers preparing to abseil down the Barhout well, a sinkhole known as the "Well of Hell" in the desert of Yemen's Al-Mahra province. A team of Omani cavers has made what is believed to be the first descent to the bottom of the forbidding sinkhole, whose dark, round aperture creates a 30m. (100 feet) wide hole, plunging approximately 112m. (367 feet) below the surface, forming a natural wonder shunned by many locals, who believe it is a prison for genies.,Image: 633506921, License: Rights-managed, Restrictions: == RESTRICTED TO EDITORIAL USE - MANDATORY CREDIT "AFP PHOTO / HO / OMAN CAVE EXPLORATION TEAM (OCET)" - NO MARKETING NO ADVERTISING CAMPAIGNS - DISTRIBUTED AS A SERVICE TO CLIENTS ==, *** HANDOUT image or SOCIAL MEDIA IMAGE or FILMSTILL for EDITORIAL USE ONLY! * Please note: Fees charged by Profimedia are for the Profimedia's services only, and do not, nor are they intended to, convey to the user any ownership of Copyright or License in the material. Profimedia does not claim any ownership including but not limited to Copyright or License in the attached material. By publishing this material you (the user) expressly agree to indemnify and to hold Profimedia and its directors, shareholders and employees harmless from any loss, claims, damages, demands, expenses (including legal fees), or any causes of action or allegation against Profimedia arising out of or connected in any way with publication of the material. Profimedia does not claim any copyright or license in the attached materials. Any downloading fees charged by Profimedia are for Profimedia's services only. * Handling Fee Only ***, Model Release: no, Credit line: Profimedia

An aerial view taken on June 6, 2021 shows the Well of Barhout known as the "Well of Hell" in the desert of Yemen's Al-Mahra province. Closer to the border with Oman than to the capital Sanaa 1,300 kilometres (800 miles) away, the giant hole in the desert of Al-Mahra province is 30 metres wide and thought to be anywhere between 100 and 250 metres deep. Local folklore says it was created as a prison for the demons -- a reputation bolstered by the foul odours rising from its depths.,Image: 616925754, License: Rights-managed, Restrictions: , Model Release: no, Credit line: Profimedia

A handout picture taken by the Oman Cave Exploration Team on September 15, 2021, shows one of the team's cavers abseiling down the Barhout well, a sinkhole known as the "Well of Hell" in the desert of Yemen's Al-Mahra province. A team of Omani cavers has made what is believed to be the first descent to the bottom of the forbidding sinkhole, whose dark, round aperture creates a 30m. (100 feet) wide hole, plunging approximately 112m. (367 feet) below the surface, forming a natural wonder shunned by many locals, who believe it is a prison for genies.,Image: 633506960, License: Rights-managed, Restrictions: == RESTRICTED TO EDITORIAL USE - MANDATORY CREDIT "AFP PHOTO / HO / OMAN CAVE EXPLORATION TEAM (OCET)" - NO MARKETING NO ADVERTISING CAMPAIGNS - DISTRIBUTED AS A SERVICE TO CLIENTS ==, *** HANDOUT image or SOCIAL MEDIA IMAGE or FILMSTILL for EDITORIAL USE ONLY! * Please note: Fees charged by Profimedia are for the Profimedia's services only, and do not, nor are they intended to, convey to the user any ownership of Copyright or License in the material. Profimedia does not claim any ownership including but not limited to Copyright or License in the attached material. By publishing this material you (the user) expressly agree to indemnify and to hold Profimedia and its directors, shareholders and employees harmless from any loss, claims, damages, demands, expenses (including legal fees), or any causes of action or allegation against Profimedia arising out of or connected in any way with publication of the material. Profimedia does not claim any copyright or license in the attached materials. Any downloading fees charged by Profimedia are for Profimedia's services only. * Handling Fee Only ***, Model Release: no, Credit line: Profimedia