In the desert of Dubai, there exists a very special village. It often appears during the day but mysteriously disappears at night.
When mentioning Dubai, most people think of a wealthy country abundant in oil. Iconic landmarks like the world’s tallest building – Burj Khalifa, and the largest artificial island – Palm Jumeirah illustrate Dubai’s fame.
However, Dubai is also home to vast deserts filled with fascinating phenomena. Among these, the most intriguing is a village in the Dubai desert that scientists have rated as one of the most “mysterious” places in the world. This is Al Madam Village.
The Village Appears by Day, Disappears by Night
This village is unique in that it vanishes at night and reappears during the day. Its unusual nature has led to it being dubbed a “ghost town.” What causes this phenomenon?
During the day, the village appears but disappears at night. (Photo: CNN)
To clarify this mysterious event, scientists decided to investigate on-site. Initially, they received reports that this village had once experienced an outbreak of a disease for which there was no cure, causing fear among locals. There were even rumors of someone being seen walking around the village but never returning. Consequently, the village became deserted as locals avoided it out of fear for their safety.
According to their observations, the village looked no different from other villages during the day. From the remaining traces, it was evident that the villagers were indigenous people who lived self-sufficiently and had their own unique cultural traits. However, at night, a surreal scene unfolds, and the village seems to vanish into thin air, leaving no trace behind. When experts searched the area, they found only golden sand. Surprisingly, by day, the village reappears as if it had never vanished.
The village is surrounded by golden sand. (Photo: CNN)
Subsequently, scientists proposed three explanations for the strange occurrences in this mysterious village.
Three Explanations
First, they suggested that the village might have been engulfed by subsiding sand. According to scientists, the desert is abundant in sand, and subsidence frequently occurs. However, this theory was dismissed because during the day, the village appeared unaffected or submerged by shifting sands.
The initial hypothesis proposed by scientists was subsiding sand. (Photo: CNN)
Secondly, some scientists explained that the village’s disappearance at night is due to mirage effects. They argued that since Dubai is half desert and half ocean, this creates such an illusion. In the desert, the hottest air is near the surface, cooling as it rises (due to the hot sand surface and cold sea), causing light to refract downward, making the village appear vanished. However, some believe the likelihood of such frequent mirages is very low, making this hypothesis hard to validate.
The second hypothesis is that the mirage effect causes the village to disappear. (Photo: CNN)
Finally, after testing and analysis, scientists arrived at the most plausible hypothesis. The village was once inhabited by the Al Kutbii tribe. Due to over-exploitation of resources, the environment suffered severe degradation, gradually allowing the desert and sand to overtake the village, forcing its inhabitants to leave.
The third hypothesis is that wind-blown sand buried the village. (Photo: CNN)
With the population having moved away, the houses became empty, and sand dunes, driven by the wind, continuously buried them, leading to their nighttime disappearance. Only by morning, as the wind continued to blow, the sand was displaced, allowing the village to reappear.
Despite scientists proposing various hypotheses, none have been definitively accepted. The mystery of the village has sparked rumors that have spread widely, making it a growing tourist attraction for those eager to explore. Nevertheless, scientists advise visitors intending to visit the village to do so during the day, avoiding nighttime visits and going alone to ensure their safety.
