Qohaito
Eritrea · Debub · 2530 m
Description
Qohaito is a high plateau above the town of Adi Keyh, windswept and treeless, carrying one of the largest unexcavated archaeological landscapes in the Horn of Africa. It is very probably Koloe, the town the ancient itineraries place on the caravan road from the port of Adulis up to Aksum. Columns of a pre-Christian temple still stand, tomb fields and inscribed stones lie where they fell, and a masonry dam crosses a gully whose age nobody has settled. The plateau breaks away into a deep canyon, and in a cave on its flank are painted cattle thousands of years old.
Length of stay
Recommended length of stay: 1 day
Travel season
Best time to visit: November – February
- Jan
- Feb
- Mar
- Apr
- May
- Jun
- Jul
- Aug
- Sep
- Oct
- Nov
- Dec
Highlights
- Temple of Mariam Wakino
- Qohaito canyon rim
- Cave paintings of Adi Alauti
- Safira dam
- Adi Keyh market day (weekly)(Day trip)
- Aksumite tomb fields across the plateau
- Inscribed stones and column drums in situ
- Walk down the escarpment towards the lowlands
- Saho and Tigrinya highland villages
- Birding for raptors and bustards
Getting there
- Nearest airports:
- ASM