Jazirat Al Hamra, the Empty Pearl Town
A pearl-diving town in the Emirates was abandoned almost overnight more than fifty years ago. People say the jinn stayed.
What was reported
Jazirat Al Hamra was a fishing and pearling town on the coast of Ras Al Khaimah. In the late 1960s, its families left, and the coral-stone houses, mosque and fort were left standing empty by the sea.
It's said to be the most haunted place in the Emirates. People tell of jinn living in the empty houses, of voices, and of shapes moving between the walls. Visitors at night say they've heard footsteps.
Explanations offered
The town emptied for ordinary reasons: the pearl trade collapsed after cultured pearls arrived, oil brought new jobs, and families moved to new houses offered elsewhere, partly after a dispute between local leaders. The old town is being restored as a heritage site.
- When
- Left in the late 1960s
- Where
- Ras Al Khaimah, United Arab Emirates
- Witnesses
- Residents of Ras Al Khaimah and visitors
- Status
- Mostly explained
Famous cases are real, widely reported events. Each file sets out what witnesses said and the explanations that have been offered, without taking a side.