The History and Mystery of Yemen's 'Well of Hell'

On the far eastern edge of Yemen, far from any cities or well-traveled roads, there's a black mark in the desert, like a giant eye peering up from the earth. Regardless of how uncanny it looks from above, it is a natural phenomenon, a perfectly round and profoundly deep sinkhole called the Well of Barhout, or the "Well of Hell." It's easy to see why. Without the help of wings or long ropes, anything that disappears into this 367-foot-deep hole is not going to come out.

For centuries, sinister legends have swirled around the Well of Barhout. It's said that visiting or even talking about it can bring bad luck. It's also said to be a prison for uncontrollable jinn, a range of spirits that haunt Islamic mythology. The jinn, according to legend, will claim the head of anyone brave (or foolish) enough to descend to the bottom. "Yes, [locals] always told us about that," says geologist and caver Mohammad Al-Kindi... But despite all those warnings, Al-Kindi says he didn't feel any trace of fear before he recently became the first person to descend to the bottom (and come back up). His head remains attached to his body...

In total, the team spent around four to five hours exploring the bottom of the sinkhole. There are "loads of beautiful cave deposits," says Al-Kindi, including stalagmites, stalactites, and even cave pearls (formed the same way stalagmites do, except in the presence of flowing water) gleaming beneath underground waterfalls. "It also has its own kind of ecosystem," says Al-Kindi, with toads, snakes, beetles, birds, and lizards. For Al-Kindi, the whole experience was "quite spectacular."