Yalo, Apialo and the sacred geography of Northwest Malakula
Yalo, Apialo and the sacred geography of Northwest Malakula is part of the Tentative list of Vanuatu in order to qualify for inclusion in the World Heritage List.
Yalo, Apialo, and the sacred geography of Northwest Malakula is a cultural landscape demonstrating the spiritual traditions of the Nambas people who live on the second largest island of Vanuatu. Yalo and Apialo are “spirit caves” decorated with rock art and paintings up to 3000 years old, and the Nambas people conduct pilgrimages to these caves to find the handprints and footprints of their ancestors. According to Nambas tradition, the spirits of the dead pass through the landscape of northwest Malakula before coming to rest in either Yalo or Apialo caves; because of the sacred importance of the caves, specific customs must be observed when conducting a visit.
Map of Yalo, Apialo and the sacred geography of Northwest Malakula
Load mapThe coordinates shown for all tentative sites were produced as a community effort. They are not official and may change on inscription.
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Site Info
- Full Name
- Yalo, Apialo and the sacred geography of Northwest Malakula
- Country
- Vanuatu
- Added
- 2004
- Type
- Cultural
- Categories
- Cultural Landscape - Associative
- Link
- By ID