The mystic ad-Dabbagh has suggested that these verses refer to ʿĀd's tents with pillars, both of which are gold-plated. "The identification of Wadi Rum with Iram and the tribe of ʿĀd, mentioned in the Quran, has been proposed by scholars who have translated Thamudic and Nabataean inscriptions referring to both the place Iram and the tribes of ʿĀd and Thamud by name." Instead, archaeological, religious and linguistic evidence confirms that they are a North Arabian tribe. Although the Nabataeans were initially embedded in the Aramean culture, theories that they have Aramean roots are rejected by modern scholars. They became familiar with their area as the seasons passed, and they struggled to survive during bad years when seasonal rainfall decreased. The Nabataeans were one of the many nomadic Bedouin tribes who roamed the Arabian Desert and took their herds to where they could find grassland and water. It has also been identified as a tribe, possibly the tribe of ʿĀd, with the pillars referring to tent pillars. As an area, it has been identified with the biblical region known as Aram. Those identifying it as a city have made various suggestions as to where or what city it was, ranging from Alexandria or Damascus to a city which actually moved or a city called Ubar. Some see this as a geographic location, either a city or an area, others as the name of a tribe. There are several explanations for the reference to "Iram – who had lofty pillars". The reason why only the ruins of the fort have remained can be explained by the fact that people probably lived in tents at the time, and it was not uncommon for a fort to be the only permanent structure of a city.6: Have you not considered how your Lord dealt with ‘Aad –Ĩ: The likes of whom had never been created in the landsĩ: And Thamud, who carved out the rocks in the valley?ġ1: whom oppressed within the landsġ2: And increased therein the corruption.ġ3: So your Lord poured upon them a scourge of punishment. At the deepest end of the sinkhole, a tunnel has been built that leads farther down underground, where the remains of sunken walls can be found.
![ubar atlanta ubar atlanta](https://media-cdn.tripadvisor.com/media/photo-s/1a/52/88/59/exterior.jpg)
Other parts have sunk lower, but some are still clearly visible. Sections of the fort still stand at the edge of the sinkhole and can be accessed by visitors. The fort in Shisr, therefore, literally sank into the desert sands. Furthermore, part of this fort collapsed when a sinkhole formed underneath, and several feet of sand eventually covered all the ruins. The ruins suggest there used to be a fort surrounded by eight walls with a tower at each corner, a description that matches the description of the legendary Ubar in ancient documents. Whether or not the ruins called Ubar in Shisr are actually the remains of the legendary Ubar is contested.Īrchaeological excavations suggest this outpost was involved in the incense trade, meaning it may have been a sizable settlement. The ruins found in Shisr are officially named Ubar.
![ubar atlanta ubar atlanta](https://assets3.thrillist.com/v1/image/1820775/size/tl-stack_mobile.jpg)
This is fertile ground, where legends and archaeological studies plant their seeds for wild speculations to grow.Īccording to one of these speculations, the ruins of Ubar have been found in the village today known as Shisr in Dhofar Region, Oman. It’s even been dubbed the “Atlantis of the Sands.” Ubar and Atlantis have something else in common, too-there’s no unanimous consensus that either ever even existed.įinding the skeleton of a city that perhaps never existed can be a daunting proposition, but explorers and scholars are well aware of the prestige they could gain should they discover the ruins.
![ubar atlanta ubar atlanta](https://i.ytimg.com/vi/Td23lpdRAkw/hqdefault.jpg)
Ubar is the Arabian equivalent of Atlantis, except that instead of sinking to the bottom of the sea, legend says it disappeared into the desert sands.