Look: Sharjah’s half-buried village offers glimpses into UAE’s glorious past

A Sharjah village that lies half-buried in the desert has long been attracting curious tourists. And now, the legendary ‘Buried Village’ in Al Madam is being reclaimed from the sands of time.

The authorities concerned are preparing the Ghuraifa village for visitors and tourists, after the Sharjah Ruler issued a directive recently to preserve it.

Photographs of the village, including ones released by news agency Associated Press (AP), narrate a stunning story from the past.

1. Welcoming visitors

According to AP, the local authorities have installed fencing around the perimeter, along with a security gate, garbage bins and a parking lot.

2. Bird's eye view

Consisting of two rows of identical houses and a mosque at the end of the road, the once thriving village was abandoned in 1999 as its residents were offered new houses.

3. Walls of art

The interior walls are brightly coloured, with some adorned with mosaics.

4. Sand all over

The desert sands have half taken over homes in the village. “Only the mosque remains as it was, thanks to regular sweeping by maintenance workers,” the AP report says.

5. This gate once greeted visitors

This is the entrance to a house at the village. The area was home to 100 members of the Al Kutbi tribe.

6. Not a ghost town

Though abandoned, the village is not a ghost town. Tourists flock to the site even amid peak summer, with several operators facilitating guided tours to the venue.

(With inputs from AP)

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• UAE
• Sharjah