
The Lost Tombs of Oman - samsolomon
https://maptia.com/oriolalamany/stories/the-forgotten-tower-tombs-of-oman
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arethuza
My immediate reaction as a Scot was "What are brochs doing in Oman?"

[https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Broch](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Broch)

NB Brochs aren't as old and are a lot bigger. However, the visual similarities
are quite striking.

Edit: Obviously this similarity is coincidental - there aren't _that_ many
different ways of building a simple tower out of stone.

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gosub
also sardinian nuraghe:
[https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Nuraghe](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Nuraghe)

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alexandrerond
Nuraghes we're not built as tombs though, but rather as fortified structures.
They even had several floors and walls around.

Both are amazing though.

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sonabinu
I lived in Oman for a few years and it's one of the most beautiful places. The
best thing about the place is how much effort goes into conservation of
historically significant structures and the country's focus on eco-friendly
tourism. The people are very friendly and unlike the other Arabian Gulf states
they are not arrogant about the oil wealth.

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jccalhoun
Great pictures and a really interesting place.

However, it starts off saying it was discovered in the 90s by a British
aviator but later talks about a local legend. So either the locals made up a
legend recently or it wasn't really "discovered" in the 90s.

I tried to look up some information about the site but couldn't find anything
definitive about how long it has been known about (a couple sites mentioned an
archeological dig in the late 70s but it wasn't clear if it was at this site
or nearby and one mention was on a conspiracy site so not exactly a credible
source).

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emmelaich
Fascinating. Here's the location :
[https://goo.gl/tji5ch](https://goo.gl/tji5ch)

Seems they're not so far from main roads, so it's a bit odd about use of GPS
and four wheel drive vehicles.

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captaintacos
And there seems to be a town nearby. I think they are so busted on this one.

They probably even have souvenirs and guided tours in place.

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fit2rule
I think you both might underestimate just how formidable the desert can be,
just a few kilometers away from the nearest road/track/goat-path .. having
lived in deserts all my life, the mere presence of a track on a map doesn't
mean much. Get out there under you own wind, and you might have a different
compulsion towards criticism of the 'accuracy' of the story ..

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vmorgulis
It reminds me a bit the Towers of Silence used in Zoroastrianism.

[https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tower_of_Silence](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tower_of_Silence)

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fideloper
Some superb photography there, hopefully not too touched up

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2pointsomone
I visited some of these areas on a recent trip to Oman - certainly beautifully
and realistically captured

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xdissent
I wonder if they're kilns or furnaces rather than non-functional monuments,
given the historical record of trade from the region.

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jewel
I would expect the interior to still be blackened. Here is the photo from the
article closer up:

[https://maptia.imgix.net/photos/75985/1456101557.jpg?cs=srgb...](https://maptia.imgix.net/photos/75985/1456101557.jpg?cs=srgb&s=df472bbb09971018060e26f24761e0a5)

From what I gather from other articles, no human remains have ever been
extracted from them. Perhaps the buildings were used for a religious purpose
or for temporary shelter.

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24gttghh
Does anyone else see a reflection of mountains in the background, with the
spacing of the tombs along the closer ridge-line?

