Sof Omar Caves is the longest cave in Ethiopia at 15.1 kilometres (9.4 mi) long. When surveyed in 1972, it was the longest cave in Africa. Since then explorations in Madagascar (Marosakabe - 113km) and Algeria (Rhar Bou Ma’za - the Tafna River Cave 18.4 km) have overtaken it. [1] It is situated to the east of Ginnir, in the East Bale Zone of the Oromia Region in southeastern Ethiopia, through which the Weyib River (Gestro River) flows.[2] It sinks at the Ayiew Maco entrance and reappears at the Holuca resurgence 1 kilometre (0.62 mi) away. According to tradition Sof Omar was the name of a Muslim holy man who lived in the area and Ayiew the name of his daughter. Maco and Holuca are local names for 'name' and "cave", respectively. Long a religious centre, it is sacred both to Islam and the local Oromo traditional religion. The caves are known for their many pillars, particularly in the "Chamber of Columns". As of 2011, the site was added on UNESCO tentative list, still to be considered for a possible inscription.
^Guden, Bob. "World's Longest Caves". Caver Bob. Retrieved 5 November 2020.
^http://www.bookrags.com/tandf/sof-omar-cave-ethiopia-tf/#p2000a3339960656001[permanent dead link]Encyclopedia of Caves and Karst Science
east of Goba in the Oromia Region, flowing east to pass through the SofOmarCaves, then to the southeast until it joins the Ganale Dorya River in the...
October 2023. Retrieved 12 November 2023. "Holqa SofOmar: Natural and Cultural Heritage (SofOmar: Caves of Mystery)". UNESCO World Heritage Centre. Archived...
another place in the town. Notable tourist attractions include the SofOmarCaves, which lie to the east. The 2007 national census reported a total population...
the tomb of a Muslim saint—the Bale Mountains National Park, and the SofOmarCaves. Towns and cities in Bale include Dodola, Ginir, Goba and Robe. Bale...
Present. Rotterdam: Balkema, 1980. An Addis Tribune article on the SofOmarCaves The Tradition of Pilgrimage in Ethiopia - with pictures of the Sheikh...
Lalibela and Gondar, Harar Jugol walled city, Negash Mosque, in Negash and SofOmarCaves. Developed in the 1960s, tourism declined greatly during the later 1970s...
September 2022). "World Longest CAVES by Country". ".1 km long, number 8 of the world's longest (granite) caves!". Gobholo cave. 19 January 2014. Retrieved...
to the occurrence of caves. Most described caves in Mesozoic limestone in Ethiopia are located in the Harrar region (SofOmarcave) and in the Dogu’a Tembien...
Mullah Omar, who was suspected to be at his summer retreat. Four MH-47E helicopters took off from the USS Kitty Hawk (which was serving as an SOF base)...
2 km away and travelled on foot to the caves where the hostages were being held. The SAS and SEALs stormed the caves simultaneously – DEVGRU killed 7 bandits...
Battalion. Ranger protection force teams were part of Task Force Sword, a black SOF unit whose primary objective was capturing or killing senior leaders and...
The Case of the Second Intifada". Social Forces. 84 (4): 1969. doi:10.1353/sof.2006.0081. ISSN 0037-7732. S2CID 146180585. In the early years of the 21st...
on May 14, 2011. Retrieved August 22, 2017. "Special Operations Forces (SOF) and CIA Paramilitary Operations: Issues for Congress, CRS-2" (PDF). Archived...
close air support, along with assistance from special operations forces (SOF). It was initially estimated that IS still had around 400–1,000 of its most...
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