Tanzania

Mt. Ol Doinyo Lengai

Rising to an altitude of 9717 feet (2962 meters, though these measurements vary according to different scientists) the symmetrical, steeply sided and still active volcano of Ol Doinyo Lengai is located in the Eastern Rift Valley of remote northern Tanzania. Soaring 6562 feet (2000 meters) above the parched and rocky desert floor, it is considered the home of the Masai god, Eng'ai, who occasionally signals her wrath with eruptions and drought. Pronounced ol doyn-yo len-guy, meaning ‘Mountain of God’ in the Masai language, it has long been a place of pilgrimage for Tanzania’s pastoralists, who pray for the most important things in their world: rain, cattle, and healthy children. In one of the more common rituals, Masai elders lead groups of barren women to the base of the mountain, where they pray to Eng'ai to bless them with children.

June 4, 2016

Martin Gray

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