The land they occupied was known as ‘Ahqaf’, meaning zigzag sandhills.They built monuments on elevated places.They lived immediately after Noah (as).They built lofty buildings, assuming power unrivalled by any other civilisation in Arabia.In brief, the Qur’an further outlines the following in relation to the tribe of Ad: ‘Hast thou not seen how thy Lord dealt with ‘Ad-The tribe of Iram, possessor of lofty buildings, The Like of whom have not been created in these parts’ The following verses outline the link between Ad and Iram: Some pre-Islamic poetry recounts the name, but the Qur’an was the earliest complete text to expound on the city of Iram and deliver a comprehensive account. Although the word ‘Iram’ is used only once, the city is associated with a mighty tribe known as the Ad. The notoriety of Iram originates from one major source, the Qur’an. So what do we know of Iram and its apparent existence? A closer look reveals a fascinating reality. This is where the search for Iram currently sits, shrouded in mystery but clearly a place that has historical basis.
Add in mythical creatures, spectacular natural disasters, superpowers and other mysterious ingredients and your account is more likely to be taken up and passed on. To relate a story of a city that rose and fell is mundane. The insertion of extraordinary occurrences was often deliberate, a device to ensure the story survived beyond the next generation. In each instance, a factual predecessor for mythical stories can be directly traced. The amalgam of ‘Robyn’, a popular name in Medieval England, and ‘hude’ meaning an individual who wore a head-covering, created the symbol of Robin Hood - not one individual but multiple individuals in Medieval England that took rampant inequality into their own hands, stealing from the rich to distribute to the poor. Ferocious Viking warriors known as ‘Berserkers’ (incidentally where the word ‘berserk’ originates from) were believed to transform themselves into bestial forms, but their consumption of powerful hallucinogens and application of animal skins in battle invited such stories from a petrified opposing army. King Midas from Greek mythology, said to have turned everything he touched into gold, was most likely an immensely wealthy ruler of Phrygia in the 8 th century. Mythical depiction of Iram (source: Jens Heimdahl – Facebook : Art of Jens Heimdahl) The passage of time and memory often distort the original version entirely out of shape, creating a sensational rendition of an account that closer resembles a fantasy trilogy.
Its association with the fictional city of Atlantis has meant most identify Iram as part of folklore a tale passed down from generation to generation relegated to the realm of pseudo-history.Īs with many so-called myths and parables that repeatedly appear in ancient tradition, its origins are typically rooted in truth. The video game Uncharted 3 includes a dramatic reconstruction of a lavish, sprawling metropolis emerging from the desert called Iram and similarly dubbed ‘The Atlantis of the Sands’.ĭespite its popularity and lure for adventurers over past centuries, Iram remains relatively unknown and understudied. Its legacy has endured even in the current day. Known as Iram of the Pillars, the city has captured the imagination of poets, travellers and archaeologists.
#The discovery of the lost city of ubar full#
“With Lawrence in Arabia”, book is in public-domain, full text available at originally from University of Toronto) Lawrence referred to it as ‘The Atlantis of the Sands’, enshrining its legendary status buried deep within the deserts of Arabia. Lawrence – known more popularly by his moniker, ‘Lawrence of Arabia’ – the search for this long-lost glorious city that was spectacularly destroyed rumbles on. From the famed explorer, Sir Ranulph Fiennes, the Emmy-award winning documentary filmmaker, Nicholas Clapp, to the conspicuous figure of 20 th-century Arabian politics, T.E. Rizwan Safir, UK – Editor Archaeology Sectionįor centuries, the quest to find one of Arabia’s lost cities has attracted an eclectic band of detectives.
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