Outlines of former homes are still visible but the all-consuming sand rolls in like waves, pouring through the windows, filling the courtyards, and sweeping away the furniture. Less than an hour’s drive from the city of Dubai, just over the border into Sharjah, this neatly planned outpost featuring two rows of homes and an elegant mosque has been left to its fate. There are indications that inhabitants may have departed in a hurry; doors wide open, and personal effects left in a jumble. These haunting memoirs have fueled stories that Al Madam is a “ghost village” where the residents fled from supernatural forces. Not a soul remains to tell its story. But Al Madam has become an increasingly attractive destination for thrill-seeking day trippers.

CNN News