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donkey cart Damaraland

Khorixas and
Twyfelfontein
Damaraland


Khorixas forms the centre of Damaraland, which stretches between the Erongo and the Etosha Pan in the north-west of Namibia. The name was derived from the times of the "homelands". Today, Damaraland is part of the Kunene region. The Damaraland is still predominantly populated by the Damara, who are, together with the San (Bushmen), the oldest inhabitants of Namibia. Their language is of the Khoisan group and is also related to the languages of the Nama and the San.

Khorixas has, besides a petrol station, some shops, a restcamp and a lodge - nothing of interest, however, the surrounding mountainous, stony regions offer a number of scenic attractions.
Some 90 kilometres west of Khorixas lies Twyfelfontein ("Doubtful Spring"), with one of the most extensive galleries of rock engravings in the world. They aren't really paintings, but have been done by cutting through the hard surface layer of sandstone. More than 2000 petroglyphes have been counted here, and in 1952, the valley of Twyfelfontein was proclaimed a National Monument. The rock engravings are found on a number of smooth rock surfaces and most of them depict animals and their tracks. Scientists have estimated their ages to vary between 1000 and 10000 years: The majority agrees on an age of about 6000 years.
Twyfelfontein engravings
Damaraland
A few kilometres away from Twyfelfontein, there are more attractions to be found: the basalt columns called "Organ Pipes" and "Petrified Forest" with about 300 million year-old tree trunks. Some 150 kilometres south of Khorixas lies Namibia's highest mountain; the Brandberg massif, with the 2573m high Königstein as its highest peak.

Further information, travel advice and accommodation to be found on the INFO page.
Left: In Damaraland.
Top right: Donkey cart, the Damaras' traditional means of transport.
Bottom right: Rock engravings in Twyfelfontein.

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