“The only guys who knew where we were were the helicopter pilot and co-pilot,” Blom recalled later. For navigation, they mostly relied on compasses and grainy satellite images civilian-grade GPS systems were still an inconsistent novelty. A handful of Omani soldiers came along for protection in the country’s tribal territories.
Then there was Ron Blom, a geologist and remote sensing specialist from NASA’s Jet Propulsion Laboratory.īetween them, they had a large duffel containing some old military-supplied “meals-ready-to-eat,” archaeological sample bags, and a small pickaxe-the sort used to pry artifacts loose from clay. Their ringleader was documentary filmmaker Nicholas Clapp, accompanied by his wife Kay, a federal probation officer. There was George Hedges, an entertainment industry lawyer from Los Angeles Sir Ranulph Fiennes, a British baronet and explorer and Juris Zarins, an archaeologist. This was a reconnaissance mission, their first to the desert of Oman. The group was on a quest to find the ruins of an ancient, remote outpost-a destination that would have taken days to reach by camel. Their transport, a Vietnam War-era Huey helicopter, had returned to Thumrait Air Base to refuel, leaving them grounded until morning. They had not planned on stopping here for the night, so they had no radio, nor any mode of communication. The small group spread out their sleeping bags on a desert mesa, under the setting Sun. In addition to all the desert fun you can have, you can’t help but feel the presence of this ancient trading highway.It was the summer of 1990 and broiling hot in southwest Oman. Like the sands in Sharqqi’a region, the local youth frequent this area for “dune bashing” and overnight camping. The mega sand dunes of the empty quarter are frequently visited by motorsport enthusiasts. This is described in the NASA Earth Observatory website. The area of Alhashman and the the empty quarter desert has an amazing geological contrast. The locals come to these dunes on adventure tours and overnight camping. The blogpost by Andy in Oman titled “‘The Lost City of Ubar’ Found or Still Lost?! Shisr, Southern Oman” offers his experience on what to expect and why the site is so important to archeologists and historians.īeyond Alshasir is the empty quarter desert with it’s magnificent sand dunes. Walking around the archeological site gives the feeling of being in an Indiana Jones film. The Culture Trip article provides good advice for visiting Oman’s empty quarter/ The Bradt guide tells the story of how the discovery of Ubar was announced with much fanfare in The New York Times of 5 February 1992 and included in the Land of Frankincense Sites in 2000. Most travel guides will have a section on Alshasir and the lost city of Ubar. Just write a comment on our contact page and we will get back to you.
#Ubar ancient city full
If you are interested in organizing a full day or an overnight camping trip we are happy to help. Our team opted for a local freelance tour guide that organized an overnight camping trip for us. Tourists from Muscat tend to hire commercial operators like Bahwan Travel, or Sumahram Falcon Tours (located at Crown Plaza Salalah). There are a number of tour operators in Salalah that offer trips to the archeological site of Ubar (Alshasir) and then onwards to the Alhashman sand dunes for overnight camping or just a taster of the empty quarter desert.
Travelling beyond Alshasir will require planning ahead as it is necessary to use a 4×4 and at least one support vehicle. The drive to the archeological site does not require a 4×4. If you consider camping overnight in Ramlat Al Hisman, you will get a glimpse into the lives of the traders that crossed this ancient route. Making it is ideal for a day trip from Salalah. Located 164 Km from Salalah, the drive to the lost city of Ubar can take up to 2 hours. The area surrounding the lost city is known as Ramlat Al Hashman which was a gateway for ancient frankincense trade routes through the Empty Quarter desert. Some claim that this is the location of an ancient lost city known as “ Atlantis of the Sand“, and that it is also the site of the lost city of Iram mentioned in the Holy Quran. Located in the governate of Dhofar is the UNESCO world heritage site of Shasir/Ubar. “Have you not considered how your Lord dealt with ‘Aad – Iram – who had lofty pillars, The like of which were not produced in (all) the land?” Holy Quran ((Surat al-Fajr: 6–8))
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