From the railing, the ground simply falls away. Far below, the walls of a vast round pit drop into shadow, and birdcalls rise and echo off the rock.

The sinkhole

Tawi Atayr, the Well of Birds, is a huge sinkhole on the limestone plateau inland from Mirbat, in the Jebel Samhan area of Dhofar. It is said to be one of the largest sinkholes in the world, around 150 metres wide and more than 200 metres deep, and it was formed by the dissolving of the limestone.

The Well of Birds

Many birds nest in the sinkhole's walls, and their calls echo up from the depths, giving the place its name.

Discovery

The sinkhole was found in 1997 by a Slovenian team working with Sultan Qaboos University. Another great sinkhole of the region, Teeq, lies about 14 km away.

Seeing it

A viewing platform lets visitors look down into the hole, and steps lead part of the way down. Stay behind the railings: the edges are sheer and the rock can be loose. The site is reached by mountain roads, among them the Aqbat Ghadiya and Aqbat Hasheer roads.

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  Wadi Darbat About 12 km away.
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  Sumhuram About 16 km away.
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  Jebel Samhan About 16 km away.
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  Mirbat About 19 km away.
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  Taqah Castle About 19 km away.

Visiting

Entry is free. In the khareef the area is green and misty in summer. Pair the sinkhole with Wadi Darbat and the old town of Mirbat for a day in eastern Dhofar.