The recently discovered ruins on Al Sinniyah Island may very well be the “lost city” of Tu’am mentioned in ancient Arabic texts.
According to Heritage Daily, ancient Arabic literature records a historic city named Tu’am that was established in the 4th century. It quickly became a central urban area along the Gulf coast in the 4th and 5th centuries, renowned for its pearl fishing and gem trading.
However, over the centuries, this great city mysteriously vanished from both historical records and archaeological documentation.
The ruins believed to be a part of the ancient city of Tu’am – (Photo: Umm Al Quwain Department of Tourism and Archaeology).
Now, on Al Sinniyah Island, a small island off the western coast of the Khor Al Bidiyah peninsula in the Emirate of Umm Al Quwain, United Arab Emirates (UAE), scientists have made a surprising discovery.
A research team from the Umm Al Quwain Department of Tourism and Archaeology has uncovered traces of semi-urban apartment buildings spanning 30m2, densely packed around narrow pathways.
The evidence suggests that this area resembles a pearl fishing village. Additionally, a part of a monastery has also been discovered in the vicinity.
Previously, an ancient cemetery was known in the nearby area, where skeletons showed no signs of injury or violent death, despite many of the deceased being young.
Cross-referencing with ancient texts, Tu’am emerges as the only plausible identification, even though no inscriptions confirming this have been found.
However, no other urban remnants have been confirmed along this coastline where ancient texts indicate Tu’am was situated.
The ancient city is believed to be far more extensive, possibly encompassing the remnants of the pearl fishing village all the way to the previously discovered ancient cemetery.
The mysterious deaths with no signs of injury among those in the cemetery align with records indicating that the city of Tu’am was struck by a plague, leading to a rapid decline in its population.
