The Atlantis of the Sands is the name given to the legendary lost city of Ubar, a place of lore that has captivated explorers for millennia until it was finally found in the late 20th century.
“Look”, the man said proudly, “This is the lost city of Ubar!” “
Really”, I replied, “Ok, can you show me?”
“Yes, come, come”, the man said excitedly.
I was in Oman for 6 weeks and at this point was heading to the Rub al Khali (empty quarter) Desert. Along the way, we stopped at a nondescript oasis called Shisr, and it’s there that the fabled lost city of Ubar, also known as the Atlantis of the Sands, was found in the past few decades.
It’s when traveling that historical adventures like this come up and are unplanned and spontaneous. Following what looked like a simple rock wall the man started explaining the history of the place.
Near the entrance to the archaeological area of Shisr was a sign saying “Welcome to Ubar, the Lost City of Bedouin Legend”.
The Ancient Lost City of Ubar
Ubar is a tale of legend, a lost city of lore, buried somewhere in Arabia.
T.E. Lawrence, who went in search of Ubar, unsuccessfully, said of it as “a city of immeasurable wealth, destroyed by God for its arrogance, swallowed forever in the sands of the Rub al Khali desert“.
Known commonly as the “Atlantis of The Sands” and mentioned in both the Koran and “A Thousand and One Arabian Nights” Ubar appears as a city rich in the frankincense trade for thousands of years B.C.
It was said that the city’s architecture was made from brass and that the city was destroyed by a natural disaster or an act of God. Whatever may have been the cause, after the city fell into distant memory it became covered with sand from a huge sandstorm that hid it from those searching for it.
A few people over the centuries have looked for this fabled city but it was not until an expedition in the early 1990s that most people believed the lost ancient Atlantis of the Sands had been found. I say ‘most people’ as there are a few scholars that dispute the find.
The discovery was made by a group of archaeologists, with the head of the group being Nicholas Clapp. Also, a member of the team was Sir Ranulph Fiennes, the famed explorer, who wrote a book about the discovery called Atlantis of the Sands (get the book with that link).
The New York Times said at the time that “Guided by ancient maps and sharp-eyed surveys from space, archaeologists, and explorers have discovered a lost city deep in the sands of Arabia, and they are virtually sure it is Ubar, the fabled entrepot of the rich frankincense trade thousands of years ago.”
Atlantis of The Sands Discovered
Back to my visit, as the guide walked me around this ancient site of Ubar it came as a bit of an anti-climax for an ancient lost city as there is little of anything to see.
There is a stone wall there and a sunken hole and that’s about it, to be honest. Don’t expect some major Indiana Jones moment!
Having said that the area is definitely worth going to just for the scenery itself and stopping at Shisr to see the Atlantis of the Sands for an hour or so on the way to the Empty Quarter Desert as I did, makes for a better journey.
As mentioned before, this location as the Atlantis of the Sands is still disputed by some scholars, but overall the impression is that this is indeed the ancient lost city of Ubar.
Visit Oman
Oman is an exciting country to visit with its history and natural beauty and the Dhofar region in particular is stunning. Head to Dhofar, go see the Empty Quarter Desert, and stop at Shisr on the way.
Take a look at my travel guide to Oman.
For an overall guidebook for Oman, I recommend Bradt Oman.
I recommend using SafetyWing Travel Insurance for your trip, just in case, it’s best to be prepared.
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