Encroaching sands have left little evidence that the Omani village of Wadi al-Murr ever existed, but former inhabitants and curious visitors are coming to rediscover the hamlet engulfed by the desert.
Salem al-Arimi, originally from the area, looked out nostalgically over the expanse.
According to local elders, "all the houses in the village were invaded by the sand that assailed them 30 years ago, forcing the inhabitants to leave their homes," he said.
Building tops and sections of stone wall emerge here and there, bearing witness to those who once lived here.
Deserts are expanding all over the world, pushed on by climate change, and affected populations have few weapons to fight back.
Wadi al-Murr's inhabitants, who mostly relied on pastoral activities, had to give up their village, swelling the ranks of those migrating to towns and cities.
Located at the bottom of a valley nearly 400 kilometres south-west of the capital Muscat, Wadi al-Murr is cut off from main roads and only reachable via a long, rough track.
Its isolation, including from the electricity and water grids, contributed to its slide into obscurity. But that has not prevented erstwhile residents from returning to visit, along with trekking enthusiasts who take desert hikes in the region.
Mohammed al-Ghanbousi, a former inhabitant, said the moving dunes had re-exposed some dwellings after they were covered by sand.
This phenomenon has prompted "nostalgic people to visit the village, whose structures still stand because they are built from stone," he said.
"The village has recently been included in trekking tours and also attracts photography enthusiasts," he added.
A mosque that sits within the village, which in its heyday had about 30 houses and 150 inhabitants, is one building that has resurfaced.
Mohammed al-Alaoui said that when his mother learnt some homes had reappeared, she asked him to take her back.
"She often wants to go, and she likes to be there while she relates her memories of the old days, and sheds a few tears," he said.
She often wants to go, and she likes to be there while she relates her memories of the old days, and sheds a few tears
Rashed al-Ameri is among the Omani tourists who have come to discover the hamlet swallowed by the desert.
He travelled from Sur, hundreds of kilometres away, with two friends who were also keen to see Wadi al-Murr.
Oman, which is trying to diversify its oil-reliant economy, is seeking to develop its tourism industry – capitalising on its rich heritage, scenic coasts and stunning mountain geography.
The sultanate attracted three million foreign tourists in 2019, but like almost everywhere else, the pandemic reduced visitors to a trickle in 2020.
Ameri is among those who believe Wadi al-Murr could easily be included on Oman's tourist trail.
"What amazed me was that the force of nature could erase an entire village," he said.
"And what's more amazing is how this place, with its old walls, resists these assaults."
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Ticket prices
General admission Dh295 (under-three free)
Buy a four-person Family & Friends ticket and pay for only three tickets, so the fourth family member is free
Buy tickets at: wbworldabudhabi.com/en/tickets
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Engine: Electric single motor (96kW), twin motor (106kW) and twin motor performance (106kW)
Power: 333hp, 449hp, 680hp
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Price: Exact regional pricing TBA
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The bio
Favourite book: Kane and Abel by Jeffrey Archer
Favourite quote: “The world makes way for the man who knows where he is going.” - Ralph Waldo Emerson, American essayist
Favourite Authors: Arab poet Abu At-Tayyib Al-Mutanabbi
Favourite Emirati food: Luqaimat, a deep-fried dough soaked in date syrup
Hobbies: Reading and drawing
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Electric scooters: some rules to remember
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The specs
Price, base / as tested Dh135,000
Engine 1.6L turbo
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Power 165hp @ 6,000rpm
Torque 240Nm @ 1,400rpm 0-100kph: 9.2 seconds
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The smuggler
Eldarir had arrived at JFK in January 2020 with three suitcases, containing goods he valued at $300, when he was directed to a search area.
Officers found 41 gold artefacts among the bags, including amulets from a funerary set which prepared the deceased for the afterlife.
Also found was a cartouche of a Ptolemaic king on a relief that was originally part of a royal building or temple.
The largest single group of items found in Eldarir’s cases were 400 shabtis, or figurines.
Khouli conviction
Khouli smuggled items into the US by making false declarations to customs about the country of origin and value of the items.
According to Immigration and Customs Enforcement, he provided “false provenances which stated that [two] Egyptian antiquities were part of a collection assembled by Khouli's father in Israel in the 1960s” when in fact “Khouli acquired the Egyptian antiquities from other dealers”.
He was sentenced to one year of probation, six months of home confinement and 200 hours of community service in 2012 after admitting buying and smuggling Egyptian antiquities, including coffins, funerary boats and limestone figures.
For sale
A number of other items said to come from the collection of Ezeldeen Taha Eldarir are currently or recently for sale.
Their provenance is described in near identical terms as the British Museum shabti: bought from Salahaddin Sirmali, "authenticated and appraised" by Hossen Rashed, then imported to the US in 1948.
- An Egyptian Mummy mask dating from 700BC-30BC, is on offer for £11,807 ($15,275) online by a seller in Mexico
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