Tsodilo Hills
Botswana · Africa · ✦ UNESCO World Heritage Site
The Louvre of the Desert — 4,500 paintings sacred to the San people as the site of first creation
Age
~24,000 yrs
Period
Late Stone Age–Recent
Setting
Open-air
Art form
Paintings
Discovered
1908
Status
Open to Visitors
Called the 'Louvre of the Desert,' Tsodilo is a UNESCO World Heritage site with over 4,500 rock paintings across four hills rising from the Kalahari. Sacred to the San people as the site of the first creation, the hills are believed to be inhabited by powerful spirits, and painting here was an act of communion with the divine.
Notable Features
- ◦ 4,500+ paintings across 4 hills
- ◦ Sacred San creation site
- ◦ Louvre of the Desert
Depicted Subjects
RhinosGiraffesPenguinsWhalesHuman FiguresGeometric Shapes
Plan a Visit
AccessThis cave can be visited.
Sources & Further Reading
Hours & prices change — always confirm on the official site before travelling.
Photographs via Wikimedia Commons — image credits. Map data © OpenStreetMap contributors.