Pictures taken from the space shuttle find lost city of Ubar. The People of ‘Ad and Ubar, the Atlantis of the Sands. Team : Archeology: NASA aided in finding the ancient Arab town, once the center of frankincense trade. Still, it is also possible that Ubar is not the legendary city of the Quran, and that the actual Iram of the Pillars, wherever it may be, remains hidden under the sands of Arabia, still waiting to be found.įeatured image: Artist’s interpretation of Iram of the Pillars. As a result, this story would have become a familiar tale to the people of Arabia. Over time, the story about a race of people who defied Allah, and were punished for their wicked ways would have been told. Merchants or travellers passing by the ruins of Ubar may have been puzzled about what happened to that city.

Therefore, it is not surprising that towns and cities would have grew up on the routes of the camel caravans.Īlthough it remains uncertain if Iram of the Pillars actually existed, or whether Ubar and Iram are one and the same, it may be possible that the story of Iram was inspired by the city of Ubar. In antiquity, Arabia was well known for its production of incense, a valuable and important natural resource used for religious ceremonies. After all, the old camel tracks do indicate that some kind of trade, most likely incense, was going on at the site of Ubar. Yet, another interpretation suggests that Ubar was not a mystical city, but rather was the ‘Omanum Emporium’, as marked out on the map of Arabia compiled by Claudius Ptolemy in the 2nd century A.D. So, is the city of Ubar identical to Iram of the Pillars as mentioned in the Quran? Perhaps it is. A large portion of the fortress was destroyed when it collapsed into a sinkhole.

Nicholas clapp ubar