Unearthing The Mystery Of Iram: The Atlantis Of The Sands

by Joen Rico Orde on November 23, 2020 in Ancient

Speculated to be located at the Empty Quarter, the lost city of Iram, or Iram of the Pillars is a lost city said to be buried under the sands of time. Multiple archaeological expeditions found gigantic pillars and walls that might have been the remains of Iram, the city of giants, or in other sources the Nameless City. The city came with many names such as Ubar, Iram, or Irem, but the recent developments in archaeology made it possible for researchers to find remnants of the lost city buried under the sands of the Empty Quarter.

Image: Sean Samuels/Reddit

The first person who coined the term Atlantis of the Sands is no other than T.E Lawrence or Lawrence of Arabia. The locals referred to the place as Ubar as it was referenced in Thousand And One Nights. Lawrence of Arabia became fascinated with the tales of Ubar or Irem that at one point, he set out to find the city since it might hold an immeasurable wealth. The way Lawrence of Arabia described the ancient metropolis might have inspired a vast level aptly named Atlantis Of the Sands in Uncharted 3, the best selling videogame produced by Naughty Dog. This level is the most famous depiction of Iram: Atlantis of the Sands.

Irem has been referenced several times in the work of H.P Lovecraft. The city is featured in The Nameless City, published in 1921, one of Lovecraft's earliest works. Lovecraft, being fond of Islamic lore and other pre-Islamic religions and occultism believes that the city can still be accessed by the chosen people such as members of the Cult of Cthulu, large gusts of wind will reveal the city along with its temples, gigantic pillars, and other opulent structures.

Image: English Blogger 102

Another source state that references or spells the city as Irem. A prehuman city where the Nephilims or half-human or half-angel hybrids resided. There is also a subtle reference regarding the supposed destruction of civilization. A judgment from the heavens made by Allah led to the destruction of the city.

Have you not considered how your Lord dealt with 'Aad –
[With] Iram – who had lofty pillars,
The likes of whom had never been created in the lands
And [with] Thamud, who carved out the rocks in the valley?
And [with] Pharaoh, owner of the stakes? –
[All of] whom oppressed within the lands
And increased therein the corruption.
So your Lord poured upon them a scourge of punishment.
Indeed, your Lord is in observation.
Quran 89:6–14

There are also other cities named cities buried under the sands of the Empty Quarter. The lost cities are Qaryat Al Faw, Kindah, and Shisr. According to studies such as geological surveys and archaeological discoveries, these cities were once teeming with life and covered in vegetation, lush fields, and forests. It is also a place where the first humans left Africa might have settled first other than the Fertile Crescent. The first significant discovery that may prove the existence of a once colossal city in the Empty Quarter is an excavation led by Nicholas Clapp in the early 1990s. They found remnants of gigantic city walls, fortresses, and towers, and other multiple structures with mysterious origins. This discovery shed light on the mystery of Iram and concrete proof that there was a civilization that thrived on the Empty Quarter.