Abourma: the rock engravings of the Makarrassou massif

Where is the Abourma site?

Abourma occupies the Makarrassou massif, in the north of Djibouti, Tadjourah region. The Dalmar catalogue ties the site to the place called Makarrassou and places its coordinates at 11.905 N and 42.482 E. The sector lies away from the main roads, towards Randa.

The site does not present itself as a single shelter visited in a quarter of an hour, but as a long route: the panels follow one another over almost three kilometres, on cliffs west of a wadi. It is that extent which explains the real duration of a serious visit, and the need to choose what you want to see.

What do you see on the rocks?

These are engravings, not paintings: the figures are cut into the basalt rock. The themes are varied. You recognise human figures in action, wild and domestic animals, hunting and combat scenes. The whole reflects the behaviour, social stratification and organisation of a pastoral life that has now disappeared.

The Dalmar catalogue insists on a point that changes how you read the landscape: the massive presence of wild and domestic animals engraved on these rocks bears witness to a wet climate at the time they were made, with wooded, green plains. What you cross today is therefore a recent landscape on the scale of human history.

The catalogue offers a comparison with the engravings of Valcamonica, in Italy, where hundreds of thousands of signs were carved over eight millennia. The comparison serves as a benchmark for what a very large rock art group is; Abourma is a site of regional dimension, but it is the most important one Djibouti has documented.

How do you get to Abourma?

The point to remember is simple: the site is not accessible by vehicle as far as the panels. The final walk is on foot, from the village of Giba Gebiley, north of Randa. You therefore need a vehicle to reach the sector, then progress on foot.

That constraint explains the second rule: you visit with a local guide. The Dalmar catalogue recommends it explicitly. The panels are scattered and nothing on site marks them; without accompaniment, you cross a jumble of rocks seeing nothing but the most obvious figures.

Reference	Data	Source
Region	Tadjourah, north of Djibouti	Dalmar catalogue
Massif	Makarrassou	Dalmar catalogue
Coordinates of the site	11.905 N — 42.482 E	Dalmar catalogue
Nature	Engravings on basalt boulders	Dalmar catalogue
Engraved extent	Almost 3 km, west of a wadi	Dalmar catalogue and ANT
Panels recorded	About 930, according to published documentation	Wikipedia (article “Abourma”)
Themes	Human figures, wild and domestic animals, hunting, combat	Dalmar catalogue
Access	On foot from Giba Gebiley, north of Randa	Wikipedia (article “Abourma”)
Recommended season	October to February	Dalmar catalogue
Status	On the tentative list for world heritage	Wikipedia (article “Abourma”)

What is the best period to visit Abourma?

From October to February. The cool season is the only genuinely comfortable window for walking several hours on dark rock, without shade and without a water point.

In March and April, the heat becomes unpleasant from the morning. From May to September, the combination of basalt rock, sun and the absence of shelter makes progress gruelling. Whatever the season, set off early and allow a margin: on this kind of terrain, a visit that drags on ends badly.

Is the site protected?

Abourma appears on UNESCO’s tentative list for world heritage for Djibouti. The Dalmar catalogue notes that the site has kept its integrity despite the effect of time and climate change, and that rehabilitation and conservation actions can only help preserve the engravings.

That listing translates, on the ground, into no protection arrangement described in our sources. The elementary rules therefore remain those of the visitor:

• Do not touch the engraved rock. Friction erases the contrast between the patina and the line.
• Do not wet or rub the panels to make them stand out in a photo: that is the gesture that damages an engraving fastest.
• Do not climb on the engraved surfaces, and do not move stones.
• Take nothing away: no rock flake, no object found on site.
• Report any damage to your guide or to the ANT, rather than going around it.

What should you plan for on site?

The catalogue mentions no visitor facilities on the site: no ticket office, no water point, no shade. The visit is therefore prepared like a hike in an arid environment.

To plan for	Why
Three litres of water per person at minimum	No documented supply point on the site
Closed, high-sided shoes	Sharp basalt rocks, unstable ground
Hat, sunglasses, sun protection	No natural shade along the route
A vehicle suited to the sector	The final access is on foot, but the sector remains isolated
A local guide	The panels are not marked on site
Cash	Electronic payment is very limited outside the capital

To prepare the rest of the stay, the Tadjourah page covers the hinterland of the region, and the page camps and ecolodges lists the real accommodation in the sector. If you are looking for other rock art testimonies, the Grand Bara holds a dated group, more accessible; the Forêt du Day and its villages complete the same day in the Tadjourah hinterland. Finally, the page when to go to Djibouti details the October to February window month by month.