Research Note

They haunt old, abandoned buildings and serve as vigilant guardians for any treasures that lie concealed in their ruins.

One legendary trove was the lost city of Ubar, or Iram of the Pillars, which belonged to the ancient tribe of ‘Ad. An opulent city in a fertile oasis, Ubar and its inhabitants were destroyed by God, ostensibly in punishment for their sins. Early Arab histories said that guardian jinn haunted the ruins of Iram and protected its buried riches. But where the lost city might be found was seriously disputed. Some Arab chroniclers thought it would be found on the southwestern edge of the Empty Quarter, in or near Yemen. Others believed it was located close to Oman, in the eastern Rub’ al-Khali.

In the 1990s, Los Angeles filmmaker Nicholas Clapp told the world that he and a team of fellow explorers had discovered this lost city on the southeastern edge of the Empty Quarter. Clapp and his team did not actually discover Ubar – but they did find the ruins of an old caravanserai and fort near the village of Shisr on the fringes of the desert in Oman. They called it “Ubar,” but no treasures or signs of opulence were found, and so the search for the legendary city continues.

Ubar is one of many names for this ancient Arabian city, which is said to have vanished beneath the sands of the desert. The city was reputedly a major trading emporium at the intersection of trade routes in the Empty Quarter. It was said to have existed from about 3000 BC until the first century AD. Other names include ‘Ad, Wabar, Wibar, Wubar, Irem, Iram, and Iram dhat al-‘Imad (Iram of the Pillars). This last name is explicitly mentioned in the Qur’an: “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?” [Qur’an 89:7].

Early Arab chronicles said the city was built by a powerful king named Shaddad, son of ‘Ad. Modeling the city on his vision of Paradise, Shaddad ordered it constructed of gold and silver in place of stones. Its walls were studded with jewels. Ubar featured a hundred thousand palaces, supported by great pillars made of ruby and aquamarine. The city was filled with orchards and gardens, to complete the picture of Paradise.

Shaddad’s arrogance in trying to re-create Paradise was his own undoing. On the way to inspect his new city, a great sandstorm swept in and overcame him and his entourage. The storm raged for days, and towering dunes rose up around the city. The king and his grand new metropolis of Iram were swallowed up by the sands, never to be seen again.
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