
#729 Globally
⛰️ Tsodilo Hills
Botswana
About This Sacred Site
The Tsodilo Hills, a UNESCO World Heritage Site known as the 'Louvre of the Desert,' rise dramatically from the flat Kalahari landscape in northwestern Botswana. The four main hills contain over 4,500 rock paintings spanning 100,000 years, making them one of the highest concentrations of rock art in the world. The San people regard Tsodilo as a place of great spiritual power — the resting place of ancestral spirits and the site where the gods first lowered humanity to Earth. Visitors report a palpable spiritual energy, and the hills remain an active site of San prayer and ritual.
Key Facts
- •UNESCO World Heritage Site with over 4,500 rock paintings
- •The rock art spans approximately 100,000 years of human activity
- •Known as the 'Louvre of the Desert' for its artistic richness
- •The San believe it is where the gods first lowered humanity to Earth
- •The four hills are called Male, Female, Child, and the unnamed North Hill
Location
Coordinates: -18.7500, 21.7333





