Yalo, Apialo and the sacred geography of Northwest Malakula

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Yalo, Apialo and the sacred geography of Northwest Malakula is part of the Tentative list of Vanuatu in order to qualify for inclusion in the World Heritage List.

Yalo, Apialo, and the sacred geography of Northwest Malakula is a cultural landscape demonstrating the spiritual traditions of the Nambas people who live on the second largest island of Vanuatu. Yalo and Apialo are “spirit caves” decorated with rock art and paintings up to 3000 years old, and the Nambas people conduct pilgrimages to these caves to find the handprints and footprints of their ancestors. According to Nambas tradition, the spirits of the dead pass through the landscape of northwest Malakula before coming to rest in either Yalo or Apialo caves; because of the sacred importance of the caves, specific customs must be observed when conducting a visit.

Map of Yalo, Apialo and the sacred geography of Northwest Malakula

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The coordinates shown for all tentative sites were produced as a community effort. They are not official and may change on inscription.

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Full Name
Yalo, Apialo and the sacred geography of Northwest Malakula
Country
Vanuatu
Added
2004
Type
Cultural
Categories
Cultural Landscape - Associative
Link
By ID
2004 Added to Tentative List

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Yalo, Apialo and the sacred geography of Northwest Malakula (T)

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WHS 1997-2024