Beautiful Somali buildings are rising up in a former war zone. It gives me hope. - Sada Mire

It was an incredible feeling just to stand in front of the paintings. Then I lay down to take photos and heard a snake breathing in my ear. My assistant told me he was thinking how he would cut off my arm, leg, or wherever to stop the poison if it attacked. I believe he would have done it. I didn’t tell my mother.

When you are not a member of the United Nations, you cannot sign many legal acts, such as the World Heritage Convention. Funds that are available to other countries are unobtainable for us. In addition, we do not have a law on the protection of national heritage that would allow us to secure sites.

Paintings in the Dhambalin cave . They are 5 thousand years old. It is a real mosaic of colours. They depict dancing people, a man hunting with a dog and a herd of domestic animals. This is the only site in Somalia with drawings of sheep. They are painted with decorations, which suggests ritual meaning.