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[Pete Richards]

The world's most stunning sinkhole: Cavernous limestone bowl is so beautiful it's become a tourist attraction

They usually hit the headlines for swallowing cars, houses and occasionally whole streets.

But this particular sinkhole in Oman is so stunning it has been turned into a tourist attraction.

The beautiful limestone hollow, in Bimmah, boasts the kind of clear waters normally only seen on holiday postcards.

While similar holes engulf residential streets or open up in front of despairing home owners, the Bimmah sinkhole has long been attracting tourists eager for a picturesque swim.



Stunning: A concrete stairway leads to the base of the picturesque Bimmah sinkhole in Oman, which is several times more beautiful than many others of its type

[Pete Richards]

Taking a dip: A number of tourists have a swim in the emerald-tinted waters in Bayt al-Afreet, Oman where the Bimmah sinkhole is found

[Pete Richards]

Inviting: Sinkholes like the stunning one in Oman are formed when groundwater travels through easily-dissolved rock

Visitors are regularly spotted at the Oman site taking a dip in the vibrant emerald-tinted waters of its 20m-deep pool.

Sinkholes are found worldwide, and can form suddenly or over time, ranging in size from just one metre wide to 600m in size.

 The ground beneath the holes is normally made of easily-dissolved rocks such as limestone, carbonates and salt beds.

When groundwater flows through these rocks, it eats away at the rock, leaving behind subterranean holes and caverns.

When the roof of one of these caverns collapses, the land above it falls in too, leaving giant holes such as the one in Oman.

[Pete Richards]

Scenic: The sinkhole in Oman boasts the kind of clear waters and dramatic cliff faces normally seen on holiday postcards

[Pete Richards]

Tranquil: A passer-by stops to take in the unusual view at the Bimmah sinkhole between Qurayat and Sur in Oman