On the surface, a desert doesn’t offer much, but many times there’s more to things than the eye sees on first glance. The same is true for a little strip of land behind the village of Al Madam on the old Dubai-Hatta road, where you can find a lost and abandoned set of houses and a mosque that is slowly taken over by the relentless dunes composed of the fine UAE sands.
Some of the houses in the buried village still feature their garden walls and entrance doors.
According to locals, the village was inhabited by the Al Kutbi tribe but no one is really sure why they left.
A few houses still feature some interior amenities - they seem to have been built in the 70s or 80s.
The houses all follow the same style, with the exception of the mosque visible in the background.
Dunes have made it into most of the rooms.
I wonder if the village will ever disappear completely.
Looking westwards from the village.
The late afternoon is probably the best time to visit.
One wonders what the remains are - a bed frame?
Legend says people left because of the jinn, supernatural creatures that Arabs and Muslims believe exist in this world but not visible to human eyes; the creatures are also mentioned in the Quran.
The mosque still features remains of its previous carpet floor.
The only building following a different archiectural style.
The sand is very fine in the area - one reason it has found its way into every house.
Desert sunsets in the winter on a clear day are always special.
Unfortunately most dunes around the village feature a few more footprints than this one.
The big and the small ball.
The village is about 1h from Dubai, totally worth the trip.
Always finds a way.