Where is rub el khali located on the map. Desert Rub al-Khali: description, coordinates
The Rub al-Khali Desert occupies about a third of the Arabian Peninsula in the south, but it is called "empty quarter" in Arabic. Initially it was just "desert, empty land". But since the words "slave" (land, territory) and "rub" (a quarter) do not differ in writing, and the second is used much more often in speech, such a strange substitution took place. Still, a third is not a quarter. However, since this desert began to form about two million years ago, it has been constantly expanding its boundaries. The sandy desert is generally such an ominous "creature" that can grow, attack, absorb houses, oases and entire cities without a trace ...
Only a strong state capable of organizing the construction and maintenance of hydraulic structures, planting a strip of green spaces ("green wall"), etc., can resist the offensive of the desert. The kingdoms of "Happy (South) Arabia" were able to do this during their heyday.
Many pre-Islamic sources mention Ubar (aka "Iram the multicolored") - a magnificent wealthy city with rainbow towers built of metal and precious stones... The Qur'an says that the city of Adits (the indigenous inhabitants of the Arabian Peninsula) was wiped off the face of the earth by the will of Allah by the “noisy, violent wind” because its inhabitants were arrogant and did not listen to the appeals of their fellow countryman, the Prophet Khud (c. 2300 g . BC.). The sandstorm raged for seven nights and eight days, and not a trace of the city remained. “Now this once fertile land, where the people of Hud used to live, is a desert. But in those days these places were fertile, forests softened the harsh climate of the region and made it favorable for life. There was also a desert, but it did not occupy as much space as it does now. But, despite this mercy of Allah, the people of Hud were not grateful to their Lord for the bounties they had, but, on the contrary, persisted in their atheism and debauchery. " For a long time, Ubar was considered just a legend, but in 1990 its traces were discovered by the Americans thanks to filming from space. The photographs show how ancient caravan routes converge to the "sandy Atlantis" in the southwestern sector of the Rub al-Khali desert in Oman.
The Qur'an also mentions that the symbol of all “Happy (South) Arabia” - the Marib dam - collapsed during the life of the Prophet Muhammad (571-632). This is symbolic in its own way: with the Arab conquest of South Arabia in 628, new era, the farmers were pushed aside by the Bedouin nomads. The cultivated irrigated land gradually turned back into a barren desert.
The dam at Wadi Dhana (600 m in length, over 15 m in height) was erected by the Sabaeans near Marib, the capital of the legendary Sabaean kingdom, in VII. v. BC e. Probably, the Marib Dam was the most grandiose and significant hydraulic structure of antiquity - a gigantic complex that required constant maintenance. He allowed the inhabitants to engage not only in nomadic herding (camel breeding since 1300 BC, sheep breeding) and the collection of spices and incense, but also to grow date palms, orchards, wheat, spelled, barley, legumes and vegetables in irrigated fields. stretching for several kilometers around the city. The dam served for thirteen centuries and began to gradually collapse when the South Arabian kingdoms fell into decay, including due to the replacement of caravan trade routes, naval wars, changes in the domestic and foreign policy situation, as well as due to significant changes in the climate.
Rub al-Khali, a wide sandy strip stretching in the southern part of the Arabian Peninsula, is one of the largest deserts in the world. The surface rises from east to west from an average of 100-200 m above sea level. m up to 500-1000 m above sea level m. Under the sands - gypsum and limestone, on the outskirts - rare oases, in the east - vast salt marshes.
The administrative division of the desert is a pure formality. This is a giant neutral territory on the border Saudi Arabia, Oman, United United Arab Emirates and Yemen.
The dunes with a height of 150-200 m, covering 80% of almost 650 km 2 of the "Empty Quarter", are practically uninhabited. The biodiversity of the hyperarid and extremely hot desert is represented by an extremely limited number of species: from animals, these are mainly arachnids and rodents, from plants in depressions between the dunes - camel thorn and hodgepodge. Only dromedaries can withstand the heat of the day with a sand temperature of 70 ° C in the sun (one-humped camels are able to lose more than a quarter of their weight without dying of thirst or hunger). The Bedouins, having somehow adapted to life in such harsh conditions, let them go looking for pasture during the day, while the aces wait in the shade. European tourists, who even come here thanks to the invention of four-wheel drive cars and air conditioning, take a minute and a half to take pictures outside against the backdrop of a fantastic landscape. One of the first Europeans who penetrated deep into the Rub al-Khali and mapped it was the British subject Wilfrid Tesiger in 1946-1950. He was able to appreciate this beauty at its true worth: "In this cruel land you can see such wonderful pictures that there is no equal to them in our climate."
It seemed that it will always be like this: sand dunes, tents of wild nomads, camels ... Only ruins remained from the cities of "Happy Arabia", and from some, like from Ubar, not a trace remained. From time to time, the Bedouins accidentally found ruins of Sabaean and Menaean cities in the sands, brought with them fragments of bas-reliefs and statues and sold them for a pittance to tourists. As a result, the culture of ancient Arabia was better represented in European museums than on the peninsula itself. The Yemeni authorities did not show much interest in pre-Islamic culture, so the most valuable monuments of the ancient South Arabian kingdoms either lay there, gradually disappearing into the sand, or were taken away for souvenirs.
The sad paradox is that the heir to the ancient Sabaean civilization, Yemen, has one of the lowest human development indices in the Arab world. Half of Yemenis live below the poverty line, a third go hungry. Until very recently, about the same was the case with the Bedouins from neighboring states, partly occupied by the sands of Rub al-Khali. Until the discovery of the richest oil and gas deposits under the sands in the east of Rub al-Khali in the second half of the XX century. rapid and dramatic changes in the life of former nomads. The fabulous revenues from the sale of hydrocarbon raw materials suddenly turned the wild desert into more than civilized. So, in the emirates and Dubai, caravan trails have replaced eight-lane highways, like mirages in the desert, skyscrapers, hotels and business centers have sprung up. In literally one generation, part of the Arabs changed their way of life, turning from camel drivers into big entrepreneurs and engineers.
general information
Location: in the southeast of the Arabian PeninsulaAdministrative affiliation: most in Saudi Arabia, also Yemen, United Arab Emirates, Oman.
A type : sandy desert.
Oases: Al Ain, El Jiva, Liwa, etc.
The largest city: Dubai.
Nearest airport: international airports in Abu Dhabi, Dubai.
Numbers
Area: approx. 650,000 km 2.Length: approx. 1200 km.
Width: up to 500 km.
About 80% of the territory is covered with sands.
Average height: in the east - 100-200 m above sea level. m., in the west - 500-1000 m above sea level. m.
The height of the dunes: 150-200 m, up to 300 m.
Climate and weather
Tropical hyperaridian.Extremely arid hot climate.
Sand storms.
Average daily high in July: + 47 ° C.
Average temperature in January: + 25-30 ° C.
Average annual rainfall: 35 mm.
Economy
Minerals: the richest oil and gas fields (Sheiba, Al-Gavar, etc.).Industry: oil and gas.
Agriculture: oasis agriculture, nomadic herding (camels, sheep).
Traditional crafts and trades.
Service sector: tourism, trade, transport.
sights
■ Natural: sand dunes with a height of 150-200 m, including one of the largest dunes in the world, Morib, 300 m high and 1600 m wide; "Desert roses" from gypsum crystals; "Desert Park" (in the emirate of Sharjah, UAE), where about a hundred representatives of the entire animal world inhabiting Rub al-Khali, including the base antelope, are gathered in one place.
■ Cultural-Historical Ancients: the city of Ubar (aka Iram multi-column, probably founded in the II millennium BC) - under the sand, discovered thanks to space imagery in 1990; Old Marib (from the 9th century): the ruins of the Marib dam (built 2,700 years ago); temple to Abvam; Marib fortress with a collection of cultural objects of ancient Arabia (reliefs, bas-reliefs, etc.); the ruins of the Menaean and Sabean cities in the northeastern sector of Rub al-Khali - known from reports of Bedouins who accidentally came across them, have not yet been explored.
■ Modern: the ultra-modern architecture of Dubai.
Curious facts
■ Famous race car driver Vadim Nesterchuk died tragically in the Rub al-Khali desert in the United Arab Emirates on June 24, when he and his partner were preparing for the Silk Way Rally 2013.
■ The once flourishing Marib, which has a four thousand year history, is today a provincial Yemeni town with a population of less than 20,000.
■ The South Arabian Sabaean civilization, one of the oldest in the Middle East, took shape at the end of the 2nd millennium BC. e. The advancement of the Sabaeans (and their rivals, the Mains, who founded the kingdom absorbed by the Sabaeans in the 7th century BC. traded with many countries of the ancient eastern and ancient world.
■ Huge organized caravans of hundreds of camels moved once or twice a year from the port of Aden, later because of the Romans from Cana, to Shabwa, then through Marib, Najran, Mecca, Jeddah, Yathrib Medina and Petra to Gaza to Mediterranean... On this route, which also passed through the desert, there were dozens of hydravm (fortified and guarded wells) and cities. Caravan drivers always followed the same caravan routes: for deviating from the route, they could pay with their lives - for an attempt to smuggle.
■ According to a study by the English geologist McClure, published in 1984, in the middle of the desert at least twice, between 37 and 17 thousand years ago, and then again between 10 and 5 thousand years ago, a network of small lakes was formed, which existed from several dozen up to several hundred years. The researcher claims that the lakes were inhabited by hippos, Indian buffalo and other cattle.
■ There were mangrove swamps on the site of Dubai 7000 years ago, which were covered with sand about 5000 years ago after climate change.
■ One of the local wonders is the so-called “desert roses”. The nomads believed that these "roses" grew from the urine of a camel. In fact, they are formed in the thickness of the sand after rain by crystallization of gypsum, then, due to weathering, they appear on the surface.
- "empty valley"... Later, the name was extended to the entire desert, with fedge "valley" was replaced by a more general slave "land, territory"... But since in Arab, the language of the word slave and rub in the letter does not differ, and the usage of rub "quarter" much higher than a slave "land", the first part of the name began to be read as rub. As a result, instead of "empty land" (i.e. "desert") , a not very clear name appeared "empty (desert) quarter".
Geographic names World: Toponymic Dictionary. - M: AST... Pospelov E.M. 2001.
Rub al-Khali
(Rub 'al Khali) (in Arabic - "empty space"), a desert in the SE. Arabian Peninsula (Saudi Arabia, Oman and Yemen). The world's largest (0.6 million km²) massif of lifeless sands, which is located on the plain. Altitudes 100–500 m. Moving sands form dunes up to 200 m high and sandy hills (up to 300 m). The water-resistant horizon is often located at a shallow depth (up to 10 m), which allows the use of groundwater in oases.
Dictionary of modern place names. - Yekaterinburg: U-Factoria. Under the general editorship of Acad. V. M. Kotlyakova. 2006 .
Rub al-Khali
desert in the southeast of the Arabian Peninsula, in Saudi Arabia, Oman and Yemen. One of the driest and least explored areas of the world, as evidenced by its name (translated from Arabic - "empty space"). L. up to 1200 km, lat. up to 500 km, pl. 0.6 million km². Belongs to the largest flat deserts. Sandy strata lie on Paleogene limestones and chalk sandstones. In the east. parts - oil and natural gas fields. Altitudes gradually decrease from west to east from 500–1000 m to 100–200 m. Mobile sands predominate, occupying 80% of the territory. Dunes high up to 200 m, sandy hills - up to 300 m. Sand massifs are combined with pebble plains - regs. In the east there are extensive salt marshes and in places rocky plains. In the south-east among the yellow sands, there are massifs of white quicksand. The climate is tropical deserts, precipitation is less than 55 mm per year. There is no constant surface runoff. The water-resistant horizon is sometimes shallow. - up to 10 m. Underground runoff presumably flows along an ancient river network buried by sands, washed in chalk sandstones. In places of outlets of groundwater - oases... Oasis El Jiva located in the center. parts of the desert, stretched for 50 km along the buried channel with groundwater. In the depressions, vegetation is found (saltwort, camel thorn).
Geography. Modern illustrated encyclopedia. - M .: Rosman. Edited by prof. A.P. Gorkina. 2006 .
See what "Rub al-Khali" is in other dictionaries:
Desert on southeast Arabian Peninsula, mainly in Saudi Arabia. The length is about 1200 km, the width is up to 500 km. The area is about 650 thousand km2. A plain with a height of 500 1000 m in the west, 100 200 m in the east. About 80% of the territory is occupied by ... ... encyclopedic Dictionary
Desert in the southeast of the Arabian Peninsula, mainly in Saudi Arabia. Length approx. 1200 km, width up to 500 km. Area approx. 600 thousand km & sup2. A plain with a height of 500 1000 m in the west, 100 200 m in the east. OK. 80% of the territory is covered with sand. ... ... Big Encyclopedic Dictionary
- ... Wikipedia
Rub al-Khali- desert in the south-eastern part of the Arabian Peninsula; Saudi Arabia. In the XV century. part of this vast desert was called Fedj el Khali empty valley. Later the name was extended to the entire desert, with the fedge valley being replaced by the more common slave land, ... ... Toponymic dictionary
Sandy desert in the southeast of the Arabian Peninsula, in a tectonic depression between mountains stretching along the western, southern and east coasts Arabian Peninsula. The area is about 650 thousand km2 (one of the largest deserts ... ... Great Soviet Encyclopedia
Rub al-Khali- (Rub al Khali) Rub al Khali, desert, a vast desert on the Arabian Peninsula, one of the largest sandy deserts in the world, located south of the center of Saudi Arabia (Najd), rarely inhabited by Bedouin tribes. He was the first to cross the desert in ... Countries of the world. Dictionary
The Rub al Khali Desert is located in the southern part of the Arabian Peninsula. Rub el Khali (Arabic: الربع الخالي) is a vast sandy desert in the Middle East, occupying the southern third of the Arabian Peninsula, one of the most large deserts the world. Square ... ... Wikipedia
Desert see Rub el Khali Geographical Names of the World: A Toponymic Dictionary. M: AST. Pospelov E.M. 2001 ... Geographical encyclopedia
Fedj al-Khali- desert see Rub el Khali ... Toponymic dictionary
- المهرة Country Yemen ... Wikipedia
Books
- At the Middle East Crossroads, O. G. Gerasimov. The book is a travel and ethnographic sketches. It is based on the supplemented and revised edition "From the Sinjar Mountains to the Rub al-Khali Desert" (M., 1974) with the addition of new ...
Rub al-Khali Desert(English Empty quarter - "empty quarter") is located in the south of the Arab Emirates. More precisely, in the south, its small Northern part and the rest is in Saudi Arabia. Rub al-Khali Desert- it the world's largest sandy desert... And I ask you not to be confused with Sugar! Rub al-Khali is the largest sandy desert! In the sense that this is the largest area covered with sand! Summer temperatures here are over 50 degrees Celsius, colder in winter - about 30 degrees Celsius.
To the desert itself Rub al-Khali can be approached in three ways:
- The first and easiest one is through Abu Dhabi on a posh motorway in 6 lanes, which rests on Liwa oasis. Oaisis is located just on the very border of the desert.
- The second path is also simple, like two kopecks and goes along road from Abu Dhabi across Hamim(Hameem) to Liwa oasis. The road is simpler, but still there are two lanes, wonderful asphalt, and the trucks are taken onto a separate road that runs parallel at 50 meters.
- And the third option is the most interesting - through El Ein, along the border with Oman, then along the border with Saudi Arabia and then across the desert to the side Liwa oasis... That is, to drive not from the north to the desert, but drive up as far as possible from the South through the desert itself.
From El Eina to the Liwa oasis Slightly less than 400 kilometers. Without gas stations, the distance is about 250 kilometers. We have a car Chevrolet spark... Fuel tank 35 liters. Fill under the neck with 98 gasoline. We take with us the most necessary things - sleeping bags for spending the night in the car, a supply of water, a supply of food. The last gas station in the village Al Qua.
The sand dunes are getting higher, and the vegetation is decreasing. Camels are also less and less common. But this is not a desert yet. This is an ordinary landscape United Arab Emirates, which by the way is given to all tourists for the desert, riding in jeeps in the suburbs Dubai for $ 50. And tourists naively believe that they have been on a real desert safari. But no! There is only one real desert safari in the United Arab Emirates - in the desert Rub al-Khali!
We are driving along the border with Oman - a solid fence on the left and huge tracking stations on solar powered every 3-4 kilometers.
The road is excellent, in some places there are repair zones with a detour on a gravel road. Moreover, the road is being repaired where there are only small cracks on the asphalt and they are not being repaired by "patching", but by completely removing the asphalt pavement and doing everything over again! The weather is sunny and quite hot outside, about 30 degrees (yes, it's mid-January!). Fortunately, there is an air conditioner in the car! And now the point of the navigator shows that we are at a bend in the road. To our left Oman, straight Saudi Arabia, on right United Arab Emirates... Class! Are we really here ??? The mood is positive, the road is perfect, we keep the speed about 100 km / h, periodically stopping to take pictures.
Do you know what happens when you drive into a blizzard on the road? Clouds of snow dust rise behind the car. Here sand began to curl as well! We are passing some border point with clearly border Nissan patrol sandy color and matte paint. They look very impressive! The very thing is probably to chase illegal immigrants from Oman on them in the desert. The road is blocked by concrete blocks in a checkerboard pattern and with a red color, but you can bypass them. Some signs weigh red, but everything is written in Arabic, although they are usually duplicated in English. We pass carefully without stopping. There is no one in the vicinity. There is no chase either, so you can go on!
The sun is getting lower! Dream to meet desert sunset, will obviously become a reality today! Now we are already driving through the desert! The most real desert, and not heaps of sand with thorns and small bushes, as it is throughout the country. There are huge sand dunes, absolutely no vegetation, and the color of the sand is not light yellow, but some kind of orange tint at sunset! The road goes beyond the horizon as a strip of black asphalt. I step on the gas pedal to drive deeper into the desert, and then climb some sand dune to watch the sunset!
And suddenly, after a hill and a turn, I slow down. The road ends. And it's simple: there is perfect asphalt, and then just a direction on the sand. It can even be seen that cars are periodically driving here: D. Now an understanding arises in my head why only jeeps met us, and that is very rare!
We do not think for a long time, because there are only two reasonable options. What would most people do in this situation?
- They would not have gone to the desert in a minicar initially.
- They would turn around and drive back, seeing that there is no further road
An hour and a half later, tired, but incredibly satisfied, we returned 5 kilometers back and turned towards the border with Saudi Arabia, which runs two kilometers from the main road. Yes, the road is asphalt, but after a couple of kilometers we run into a huge barbed wire fence. A bunch of red tablets in Arabic and among them one in English. "Passage and passage are strictly prohibited! Closed area!"... Along the fence there is an asphalt road with sandy bars, a meter and a half wide. More like a sidewalk. The hill is leading ahead. We decide to get to it, pretending that we did not notice the signs. We drove upstairs. There is a huge tracking station, the road goes down and far ahead again up. Everything along the border fence. I look at the maps on the navigator - yes, apparently we will almost reach the desired place along this road, but there will have to be a turn and there are 7 kilometers of unknown, and most likely there will not be a road, but only a direction through the sand dunes. It's almost dark outside. Plus, they remembered prohibitive signs. The laws in the Emirates are harsh ... Adventures have already been snapped off! Perhaps enough for today. The plans were to spend the night here, but unanimously we decide to turn around and go back. There is a hope of finding another road, not returning much to civilization, but I am already mentally prepared for a detour of several hundred kilometers.
In general, the road in the desert is very difficult to compare with anything else. She's completely different! The closest association that comes to mind is snow, snow blizzards, snow drifts, poor visibility at night in a blizzard. Only this is not snow! It is sand that can change appearance desert very quickly and coolly, absorbing anything on its way
Another busy day was drawing to a close. It was not possible to drive quickly, because the rising sandstorm literally blocked the entire view and only a wall of sand was visible in the headlights. Visibility tended to zero and did not exceed 10-20 meters, sand was everywhere, and gusts of wind rocked the car very unpleasantly.
And also about finding a road, spending the night, fog in the desert and the highest sand dune in the world, read in a separate the day after tomorrow.
The sandy Rub al-Khali desert, which in English is called the Empty Quarter, is located in the southern part of the United Arab Emirates. Rather, only a small northern part of it is located in the south, and the rest of the desert is located in Saudi Arabia. It is one of the largest sandy deserts in the world (see the list below) and the largest in Eurasia. The Sahara is not one of those in terms of its relief and coverage. It is very hot here all year round: in summer the air temperature reaches 50 degrees, and in winter it does not drop below 30 degrees.
general characteristics
The Rub al-Khali Desert occupies a third of the Arabian Peninsula. It is located in its southern part. Its area is six and a half hundred square kilometers. It also has a hot and dry climate. There is less than 35 mm of precipitation per year. It belongs to arid deserts. Rub al-Khali runs through the territories of not only the Emirates and Saudi Arabia, but also Yemen and Oman. After all, it is so vast that it occupies a good third (and not a quarter, as indicated in the name) of the Arabian Peninsula.
Geological structure
The Rub al Khali Sand Dunes are a large "basin" that stretches from northeast to southwest and runs across the entire Arabian shelf. Under the red-orange and very fine sand are layers of gypsum and gravel. The height of the sand dunes in some places reaches 250 meters. The sand itself is predominantly of silicate origin and consists of quartz (80-90%) and feldspar (8-9%). The grains of sand are covered with iron oxide, which stains them reddish-orange.
History: Versions and Reality
After several satellite studies of the desert were made, scientists suggested that its place was not always so deserted. According to American scientists, 5 thousand years ago several eastern cities flourished here, and one of them was the same Ubar - the city of Thousand Pillars. By the way, the Rub al-Khali desert is not completely lifeless today, as it might seem at first glance. There is an assumption that a whole network of rivers and streams is buried under a thick carpet of sand. There is another version: that on the site of the desert there was a network of lakes in which both mammals (even hippos and buffaloes) and amphibians and reptiles lived. Traces of man were also found in the desert: tools of labor, which are from 5 to 10 thousand years old. Unfortunately, archaeologists have not been able to find human remains.
Fauna and flora of the desert
Oases are those areas of deserts where greenery can be found. Every student knows about it. There are several such places in Rub al Khali - Liwa, Al Ain, El Jiva. The last of them is the most picturesque, it stretches for 50 km. However, these places do not shine with rich vegetation: you can find mainly hodgepodge and camel thorns. Animal world also not very diverse. There is a Desert Park in Sharjah, and all representatives of the fauna of the Rub al-Khali sandy desert are gathered here. It turns out that there are only about 100 species of them. These are camels, snakes, scorpions, lizards, dozens of species of rodents, such as jerboas, etc. However, the most interesting of the representatives of the desert animals is the beyza antelope. It has straight, tapered horns. This is a rather large animal, its weight reaches 100 kilograms. In the daytime, animals are practically invisible. Because of the heat, they hide in cooler layers under the sand, but with the onset of night and coolness, the desert noticeably comes to life.
How to get there?
The Rub al-Khali Desert can be reached in several ways. The easiest of them is through the capital Abu Dhabi. From there, the sand dunes can be reached by a chic six-lane motorway. It rests on the Liwa oasis located at the very edge of the desert. The second path also passes through the capital, but then heads for Hamim and again approaches Liva. This road is more modest, since it has only two lanes for traffic, but it is still well-groomed and comfortable. Here you will not find overloaded trucks, for them there is a separate parallel road 50 meters away. But the third approach is the most interesting. It runs through El Ain and passes first along the border with Oman, then with Saudi Arabia, and only then goes through the desert to the Liwa oasis. This road is the southernmost one. Here tourists are waiting for the most real adventures, which is why it is called the most interesting entrance to the Rub al-Khali desert.
Description
If you choose this last path, that is, through El Eina, you will need to travel about 400 kilometers to find yourself in the picturesque Liwa oasis. It's better to take with you on the road more water and the required amount of food, although everything you need can be bought at gas stations. The last point on the way, where you can refuel, is the village of Al Qua. The closer you get to your destination, the higher the height of the dunes, and vegetable world the deserts are poorer. Of the animals in the daytime, only camels can be found. However, this is still not a desert. Perhaps, such a landscape can be seen in many parts of the United Arab Emirates and neighboring states. By the way, locals often deceive tourists by driving 50 km away from cities and presenting these areas as a desert. In order to get into it, you need to spend at least 3-4 hours in the car. The most exciting safari can be expected only in the real sandy desert of Rub al-Khali.
Natural resources
How can this sandy territory be of interest to the governments of four states - Oman, Saudi Arabia, the United Arab Emirates and Yemen? Of course, it is difficult to draw a line between the two. Nevertheless, each of these states does not want to yield to the other a piece of this sandy pie, because oil and gas reserves were found in it. In short, the Rub al-Khali desert can be called gold-bearing.
Desert entertainment
Despite the fact that this is one of the hottest places on the planet, and throughout the year, there is a certain category of tourists who come here specially for a mass of unforgettable impressions. They not only want to see what the desert is like, but also want to take part in some unusual activities. In order not to disappoint them and in order to develop the tourism business, the local population begins to come up with interesting fun, designed specifically for guests. The most popular of the entertainment is jeep riding, or rather, off-road vehicles. Other machines have nothing to do here. Also ATVs are suitable for these purposes. They are able to overcome giant sandy mountains - dunes. V Lately invented a new fun - skiing specially designed for the desert skiing and boards. Women are more attracted to visiting the Bedouin camp, getting to know their way of life, and camel riding is number one on the list.
Only sand stretches for thousands of kilometers across four states - Saudi Arabia, UAE, Oman and Yemen. The Rub al-Khali Desert (Empty Quarter) is the most great desert in the world. It may seem like it is uninhabited, but the Bedouins have survived here throughout time.
Sand dunes can reach heights of 250 meters. Hard weather- Extremely high temperature and dry air force travelers to stay away from it.
However, once upon a time the meadows were green here, the water of the lake glittered, trees towered, birds flew, although now, looking at the endless sea of sand, it’s hard to believe.
However, archaeologists and geologists who have found under the layer of sand the remains of numerous lakes, fossilized remains of cattle and hippos, flint tools, including knives, scrapers, drills and arrowheads, confirm that at least twice (in the period from 37000 up to 17,000 and 10,000 to 5,000 years ago) this desert was habitable.
So who were the people who inhabited the current Empty Quarter?
The National Geographic magazine writes: “In 1932, Bertram Thomas recorded Bedouin tales of a legendary trading city that disappeared beneath the sands of the Empty Quarter. This information piqued the interest of lovers of antiquities in the West, who became interested in this city, which was called Ubar. According to legend, he became rich by trading in incense. The city was destroyed as a punishment for the rebellious character of its inhabitants and disappeared from the face of the earth. "
What is the basis of the Bedouin legends?
“Have you not seen how your Lord dealt with the Adits, the people of Iram, who possessed columns (who erected high buildings with columns or possessed of a mighty build and great strength), the likes of which were not created in cities? " (Quran 89: 6-8)
The inhabitants of Aad lived in an area located between Yemen and Oman.
It is no coincidence that the Qur'an mentions “the possession of pillars,” since they lived in houses supported by solid pillars.
"Are you going to unnecessarily erect on every hill according to a sign (for a tall structure), build castles (or reservoirs), as if you will live forever?" (Quran, 26: 128-129)
The magazine "The National Geographic" writes: "Until 1992, all searches were unsuccessful, but then, with the help of space surveys, traces of ancient caravan routes were found that converge in the area of modern settlement Shisr in southwestern Oman. As a result of excavations, the remains of an octagon-shaped fortress with walls and eight towers at the corners were found. Pottery shards in the Syrian, Greek and Roman styles were found in the ruins of buildings. The oldest of them are about 4000 thousand years old. All this suggests that this place was important. shopping center... The fact that the city most likely ceased to exist as a result of the catastrophe - most of it fell into the voids formed as a result of the collapse of an underground limestone cave - is a compelling reason to assume that this disappeared city is Ubar.
Back in 1973, one very interesting discovery... Then when excavating ancient city Ebla in Syria, whose age was 4300 years, was discovered a library, in which, among other things, they found a list of cities with which Ebla had trade contacts. One of the cities bore the name "Iram".
The stories about peoples, told in the Koran, pursue primarily an educational goal, and are not just information about the history of individual peoples. The story of the Aad people is one such example. The Aadites were the most physically strong people of their time and, with the help of force, extended their power to those around them. But at the same time they were rebellious and arrogant tyrants. They worshiped false gods besides Allah.
“As for the Adits, they became proud on earth without any right and said:“ Who can surpass us in strength? ”. Did they not see that Allah, who created them, was superior to them in strength? They rejected Our signs. " (Quran, 41:15)
As with all peoples who fell into unbelief, Allah first sent a prophet to them to remind them of righteousness and call them to return to the right path.
However, the people of Aad rejected the prophet. When their fellow tribesman Hood, peace be upon him, said to them:
“... Aren't you afraid?
I am a trustworthy messenger to you.
So fear Allah and obey me.
I do not ask you for a reward for this, for only the Lord of the Worlds will reward me.
Will you in vain erect on every hill according to a sign (for a tall structure),
build castles (or reservoirs) as if you would live forever
and grab people like despotic tyrants?So fear Allah and obey me.
Fear the One who helped you with what you know.
He helped you with livestock and sons,
gardens and springs.
I am afraid that you will suffer torment on the Great Day. "
They said, “We don’t care whether you exhort or not be among those who exhort.
These are just the customs (or inventions) of the first generations,
and we will not be punished. "
They considered him a liar, and We destroyed them. Indeed, this is a sign, but most of them did not become believers. "
(Quran, 26: 123-139)
The people of Aad were destroyed by the fierce destructive wind that Allah sent on them for seven nights and eight days.
"The Adits were destroyed by the noisy, violent wind. He gave him power over them for seven nights and eight days in succession, and you see the people there defeated, like the trunks of palms overturned. Do you see anything left of them?" (Quran 69: 6-8)
For seven nights and eight days, they were beaten by the cold, destructive wind. Whether it was a devastating cyclone, or a hurricane that brought tons of sand with it, is unknown, but this wind destroyed them without a trace. Only the Prophet Hood, peace be upon him, and those who believed in Allah were saved. They went to Hadhramaut and settled there.
In this regard, it is curious to cite the information of the former geologist of the oil company Aramko Hal McClure, who in 1984 said that during geological exploration the remains of a lake were found, where the remains of various tools were found, but there were no human remains. Thus, the Qur'anic verse is confirmed that these people disappeared without a trace.
Such was the fate of those who disobeyed and rebelled against Allah.
Ildar Mukhamedzhanov
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