Lost City of Irem the Thousand Pillars - Atlantis of Sand

Omanum Emporiam, Irem (Iram) That Al Emad (Imad), Wabar, Ubar or the mythical lost city in "Arabian Nights" Omanum Emporiam was first mentioned in about 200 AD by Arabian geographers when it was described as a major market town in the "Empty Quarter" and at the crossroads for the frankincense trade.
Iram that Al Emad mentioned in the Holy Quran 400 years later was a city of doom becuase of its sinful ways. It was believed to have been built by King Shaddad bin Ad to recreate his idea of paradise, where he gathered gold, silver, pearls, amber and other precious things to make a city of beauty.

The city was left crumbled and buried beneath the sands of the desert when God sent a great wind to destroy the corruption of wealth and delights of the flesh of the people of Ad.


Bakheet tells us that when the city crumbled it was the result of something like an earthquake and that the city fell into a kind of hole in the ground just behind a large hill, atop of which remains one of the ruins. The walk down the hill to the hole is a bit of a slope and proper shoes are recommended. As it would turn out, the Arabic word Shisr is the word used for such a hole. Hence, the town of Shisr.
Yaqut Al Hamawi, the famous Arab geographer, described Wabar as "the land which belonged to Ad in eastern parts of Yemen and which is today an untrodden waste owing to the drying up of the desert."


The discovery of the city at Shisr came as a result of scientific research and sheer accident. In the early 1990's archaeologists launched a major expedition to find the lost city. They used satellite pictures taken over the desert, revealing old caravan routes. A group of Bedouins led the archaeologists to the area at Shisr, which they thought had ruins. A settlement was discovered beneath the sands, an ancient well which supplied the settlement with water. There were remains of walls, towers and gates, which indicate an extensive town. Pottery, glass vessels and incense burners, dating back to the era between 1000 BC and the Islamic era 900-1400 AD, were also found.


Archaeologists believe Ubar was the principal centre of the north bound overland trade route to the north of the Arabian peninsula and to the Sumerian civilisation in the south of ancient Iraq. Trade and frankincense and Arabian horses flourished from Shisr. Queen Sheba is believed to have traveled to the region for supplies of frankincense and stories narrate the tales of her offerings of frankincense to King Solomon.



Archeological proofs about the lost city:


Also, "Modern archaeologists have identified ruins at Shisha, Oman as those of Irem (Iram), better known as the lost city of Ubar. This was a fortress city not of "pillars" but "towers" (which is the same word in Arabic). It served to protect the caravans traveling the frankincense route from the gum tree groves through the land of Ad into the Rub al Khali. Founded 5,000 years ago, Ubar was built around a natural cistern of water which provided a unique oasis in the Empty Quarter. 150 people lived in the fortress surrounded by perhaps 3,000 travellers encamped in black tents, resting before continuing their journeys. The city disappeared around 300 CE. According to legend, the buildings were thrown down as punishment by Allah for the wickedness of its ruler."


Ubar, in 1992 while excavating Shisr, 140klms northeast of Salalah and noted for its fresh water wells, archaeologists found what is believed by many to be the lost city of Ubar, known as Irem in the Qu'ran, whose riches, where legendary. The discovery of its exact whereabouts was brought about by infrared satellite photographs taken of the Rub Al Khali Sands, the images recorded miles of ancient camel tracks which abruptly disappeared under a vast sand, rocked ridge. Like the Bible's account of Soddam & Gomorrah, theQu'ran relates how the citizens of Irem were punished for their excessive lifestyles and how the city which was built over a huge limestone cavern at some point collapsed and was buried forever.

The historian Al Hamdani, writing in AD6 hailed Ubar as one of Arabia's most priceless treasures "a city lying astride the fabled incense routes with imposing architecture, vast orchards & fabulous wealth" Sir Ranulph Fiennes the famed British explorer who wrote about his search in his book "Atlantis of the Sands" published in 1992 - spent years trying to locate Ubar in the parched desert of the Rub Al Khali, finally his excavation At Shisr revealed eight towers & walls which are believed to be the city's precincts, Roman, Greek & Syrian pottery where also found which dated to around 4500 years ago.While there are known to have been many caravanserai's placed at strategic locations along the frankincense routs through Arabia, it seems very likely that this place called Shisr once stood - Ubar - The Lost City.