18th Annual Smithsonian Magazine Photo Contest Natural World
The guardian of rock art of Laas Geel in Somaliland

A unique picture of the rock paintings of Laas Geel, outside the city of Hargeisa in Somaliland, a self-proclaimed independent republic of Somalia. These primitive paintings are found in a complex of caves and rock shelters. The rock art of Laas Geel is estimated to date back between 9,000-8,000 and 3,000 years before Christ. The civil war and difficulties of access to the place has kept these rock paintings in perfect conditions. Without visitors, this man, a self-declared protector, guided me to the cave and was extremely happy to pose for the camera.

Photo Detail
Date Taken: 10.2018
Date Uploaded: 07.2020
Photo Location: Somalia
Camera: LEICA M MONOCHROM (Typ 246)
Copyright: © Eduardo Lopez Moreno