الدحل المظلم

Dahl Al Mudhlem - Mudhlem Cave

Useful Information

Location:	Mukaynis, Al Rayyan. (25.1227219, 51.2282053)
Open:	no restrictions. [2025]
Fee:	free. [2025]
Classification:	Karst Cave
Light:	bring torch
Dimension:	L=150 m(?), VR=30 m(?), A=46 m.
Guided tours:	self guided
Photography:	allowed
Accessibility:	no
Bibliography:
Address:	Dahl Al Mudhlem
As far as we know this information was accurate when it was published (see years in brackets), but may have changed since then. Please check rates and details directly with the companies in question if you need more recent info.

History

2004	Surveyed by Martin Ellis.

Description

The الدحل المظلم (Dahl Al Mudhlem, Mudhlem Cave, Dark Cave) is the second-largest cave of the country and only 6 km south of the largest, so it’s simple to visit both at the same day. From the exit of Salwa Motorway it’s a short drive on a very bad road and a short hike. The cave entrance is fenced in but the cave is freely accessible. And as with the other cave there is a great number of transliterations and translations, like دَحْل اَلْمُذْلَم (Dahl al Mudhlam, dahl aalmudhlam, dhl mzlm, Humiliated Cave?), دحل مظلم (Dahl Muzlam, Daḩl Muz̧lam, Dahl Muzlim, Dark Cave) or اَلْمُكَيْنِس (Al Mukainis, Al Mukaynis, aalmukaynis, Sweeper). Sometimes its spelled Dahl Modhlam, Daḩl al Mudhla, Cockroach Cave, Dahal adh Dhalam.

Quite similar to Musfur Sinkhole this one is a hole in the ground with a 12 m wide portal, followed by a huge chamber or passage which goes down at an angle of 30 °. Soon the cave gets very tight and the rest of the cave is accessible only after a very tight squeeze, which is even for cavers problematic. We strongly discourage to enter the squeeze, it is quite dangerous.

Unlike the nearby cave this one has rat or bat droppings on the sandy floor. These excrements are the basis of life for fauna that includes 4 cm long cockroaches and large black beetles.

There are rumours this cave has a pool at the far end, which was used by the Bedouin as water supply. Lorimer visited the cave in 1908 and wrote "another pool in the rock containing good water; it is in a dark cave and cannot be approached without an artificial light". If we assume that his description of Dahal-adh-Dhalam actually is the same cave, it’s obviously possible that the cave had collapses in more than 100 years. They may as well have blocked access to the remote part of the cave, as probably filled in the lake or made it inaccessible.