After some heavy searching, we finally found Dhagah Kureh, located about 45 kilometres northwest of Hargeisa. It is a significant Neolithic rock art site, known for its extensive ancient paintings that provide insight into the lives of early pastoralist communities. Situated among granite outcrops northwest of Hargeisa, the site was the most celebrated rock art location in the region until the discovery of Laas Geel in 2002. The paintings are estimated to be over 5,000 years old.
The site features hundreds of individual paintings on at least six different panels, depicting a range of figures. During the civil war under the Siad Barre regime, the gigantic rock formations of Dhagah Kureh provided shelter for people, adding a layer of recent historical significance to the ancient site. In 2011, some of the paintings were tragically defaced due to a local dispute over the site’s curatorship.
