WADI AL-MURR, Oman: Dense sand has left little evidence that the Omani city of Wadi Al-Murr ever existed, but strange old residents and visitors come to rediscover it. a city trapped by the desert.
Salem Al-Arimi, who was originally from the area, looked out desperately over the field.
According to local elders, “the sand attacked every house in the town, which forced them 30 years ago, forcing the residents to leave their homes,” he said.
Building roofs and sections of stone wall appear here and there, testifying to those who once lived here.
Deserts are expanding all over the world, pushed forward by climate change, and affected numbers have few weapons to fight back.
Residents of Wadi Al-Murr, who relied heavily on pastoral activity, were forced to leave their city, reducing the rates of people migrating to cities and towns.
Situated at the foot of a valley nearly 400 kilometers (250 miles) southwest of the Muscat capital, Wadi Al-Murr is cut off from major roads and is only accessible by a long, rough road.
His loneliness, drifting from the electric and water grids, added to the slippage to obscurity.
But that hasn’t stopped recent residents from returning to visit, along with walking enthusiasts who take wild walks in the area.
Mohammed Al-Ghanbousi, a former resident, said the mobile dunes had resurfaced some dwellings after they were covered with sand.
This surprise has “visited nostalgia for the city, whose structures still stand because they are built of stone,” he said.
“The town has recently been incorporated into walks and it also attracts photography enthusiasts,” he said.
A mosque located within the city, which housed about 30 houses and 150 residents a day, is one building that has reappeared.
Mohammed Al-Alaoui said that when his mother learned that some homes had reappeared, she asked him to bring her back.
“She often wants to go, and she likes to be there as she recounts her memories of the old days, and sheds a few tears,” he said.
Rashed Al-Ameri is among the Omani tourists who came out to find the desert-swallowed village.
He traveled from Sur, hundreds of kilometers away, with two friends who were also keen to see Wadi Al-Murr.
Oman, which seeks to diversify the oil-dependent economy, seeks to develop the tourism industry – taking advantage of its rich heritage, scenic coastlines and beautiful mountain geography. .
The sultanate attracted three million foreign tourists in 2019, but as almost everywhere else, the pandemic coronavirus reduced visitors to a trick in 2020.
Ameri is among those who think Wadi Al-Murr could be easily included on Oman’s tourist route.
“I was amazed that a force of nature could destroy an entire city,” he said.
“And the most amazing thing is how this place, with its old walls, withstands these attacks. “