In modern times there were a few attempts to locate the lost city, but, for the most part, they were futile. Later Islamic historians and geographers describe Ubar as being somewhere in the Arabian Desert, in what is today the nation-state of Oman. As such, Ubar became a metaphor for how good Muslims should not act, and what could happen to non-believers, especially when allowed to congregate in a specific area. The city is mentioned as a den of iniquity that was destroyed by God, both in the Quran as well as the mythical Arabian Nights. One of these lost cities is that known as Ubar, Wabar or Iram, names which are all believed to refer to the same, possibly mythical, location. They play a major role in the identity of certain groups, at least in how certain groups identify with these mythical places.Īlthough many, if not all, of these locations are mythical, they may have been based on actual locations, even if modern scholars are yet to definitively discover any such places. Besides being cities and kingdoms that have been lost, often through some sort of catastrophe, all of these places are mentioned in religious texts or as part of a peoples’ national history. The annals of world history are filled with intriguing, although often outlandish stories of lost cities and kingdoms, and in addition to Atlantis, there are also Hyperborea, Shambhala, and Aztlan, to name just a few. In his works Timaeus and Critias, Plato outlines the beginning of the story of Atlantis, but the Critias, where the longer and more detailed account takes place, was never finished and, therefore, has become the mysterious germ for millennia of thought. The Athenian philosopher Plato, famous for his dialogues in which the Socratic Method was invented, was the first writer to mention the mysterious continent of Atlantis. The story of Atlantis has captured the minds and hearts of historians, scientists, artists, and writers for millennia, and yet, it never ceases to amaze people when told that the only literary evidence that exists comes from a single 4th century BCEE author. If the above city was destroyed around 100 C.E., then it can not be the city of ancient 'Ad, to whom Prophet Hud (p.b.u.h.) was sent.Īcknowledgment: The picture is taken from NASA's page.*Includes a bibliography for further reading The ancient 'Ad are called 'Ad Iram for the reason that they belonged to that branch of the Semitic race which descended from Iram, son of Shem, son of Noah (peace be on him). ![]() Therefore did thy Lord pour on them a scourge of diverse chastisement: For thy Lord is (As a Guardian) on a watch-tower. ![]() And heaped therein Mischief (on mischief). ![]() In the name of God, Most Gracious, Most Merciful.īy the Break of Day By the Nights twice five By the Even and Odd (contrasted) And by the Night when it passeth away Is there (not) in these an adjuration (or evidence) for those who understand? Seest thou not how thy Lord dealt with the `Ad (people) Of the (city of) Iram, with lofty pillars The like of which were not produced in (all) the land? And with the Thamud (people), who cut out (huge) rocks in the valley? And with Pharaoh, Lord of Stakes? (All) these transgressed Beyond bounds in the lands. The lost city's relationship with the nation of 'Ad as mentioned in the Holy Quran is unclear.īelow is just one reference to the people of 'Ad in the Holy Quran. Previous efforts to find Ubar in Oman's dunes failed in 1930, 19. ![]() The city probably had fewer than 100 residents, but was surrounded by numerous campsites marked by pottery, firepits and charcoal. According to legend, Ubar was destroyed during a disaster about C.E. Evidence indicates that the city fell into a sinkhole created when an underground limestone cavern collapsed. Researchers found the city by tracing ancient desert roads detected in pictures taken from several spacecraft, including radar and optical cameras carried by Challenger in October 1984, said Ronald Blom, a geologist at NASA's Jet Propulsion Laboratory in Pasadena. The researchers have to overcome sandstorms and deadly vipers to locate the city's octagon-shaped stone walls, 6- to 8-foot-tall remnants of seven of its eight 30-foot-tall mud-brick towers, various rooms, frankincense burners and thousands of pieces of pottery. The researchers speculate that the city may have been the earliest known shipping center for frankincense, a fragrant gum resin harvested farther south. The lost city of Ubar, called "the Atlantis of the Sands" by Lawrence of Arabia, has been found in remote southern Oman using pictures taken from space shuttle Challenger, explorers said Tuesday. Pictures taken from the space shuttle find lost city of Ubarįeb.
0 Comments
Leave a Reply. |