Lac Abbeh
Lac Abbeh is part of the Tentative list of Djibouti in order to qualify for inclusion in the World Heritage List.
Lake Abbe is a cultural landscape around an endorheic salt lake. Limestone chimneys reach heights of 50m and spew steam. The landscape also comprises the archeological sites of Asa Koma and Barogali. Its wetlands attract migratory birds.
Map of Lac Abbeh
Load mapThe coordinates shown for all tentative sites were produced as a community effort. They are not official and may change on inscription.
Community Reviews
Boj
In October 2020, I managed to travel to five TWHS in Djibouti. Among them, Lake Abbeh Cultural Landscape proves to have the highest potential of inscription - and rightly so. There is salt mining machine in Lake Assal, while the other sites (Moucha and Maskali Islands, Foret du Day and Djibouti Downtown) need stronger arguments for OUV justification to secure UNESCO inscription.
Lake Abbeh shares border with Ethiopia and its isolation helps maintain its pristine condition. As we headed five hours west from Djibouti City, the landscape changes dramatically from Earth, then to dirt roads to Mars, a rocky landscape within the supposed buffer zone, and finally to the Moon, a lunar landscape within core zone, where numerous volcanic chimneys and boiling hot springs are found.
The best time to visit the "Lac Abbeh's moonscape" is before sunrise - when the temperature is cool enough to see steam smoking out of the chimneys and hot springs.
Site Info
- Full Name
- Lac Abbeh
- Country
- Djibouti
- Added
- 2015
- Type
- Mixed
- Categories
- Archaeological site - Civilizations of Sub-Saharan Africa Natural landscape - Rivers, Wetlands and Lakes
- Link
- By ID
Site History
2015 Added to Tentative List
Site Links
Visitors
6 Community Members have visited.