- The Rub’ al Khali, which means ‘Empty Quarter’, is the largest area of continuous sand desert in the world, and occupies the southern third of the Arabian Peninsular.
- It forms the southern part of the larger Arabian Desert, which includes the Yemen, Oman, the U.A.E. and part of Saudi Arabia.
Description
- The desert is 620 miles (1,000km) long and 310 miles (500km) wide. The elevation varies from sea level to 2,600 ft (800m).
- It consists of Sand dunes which get their red and gold colour from elements of feldspar. Some dunes can reach a height of 820 ft (250m).
- There are also plains made of gravel or gypsum. The plains are the dried up beds of former lakes that existed in antiquity, some as recently as 2,000 years ago.
- It was crossed by Camel Caravans on the Incense Road that ended c. 300 CE.
- Because of the existence of Oases, the desert is inhabited by four main Arabian Tribes, the Al Murrah, Al-Ahsa, Banu Yam and the Banu Hamdan. The latter are the direct descendants of the Sabaean Kingdom.
- The desert is the location of Iram of the Pillars, one of the Lost cities of antiquity.
The Empty Quarter