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One of the best video games ever takes us right to the Middle East on the trail of the legendary Ubar (the Koranic Iram). In this chapter Nathan Drake makes us discover the treasures of a Yemen as beautiful as it is hidden from most. In such a sad moment in the history of the country it is right to remember its glories, celebrated even on the other side of the world.
Uncharted 3
Uncharted is a series of videogames based on the adventures of Nathan Drake, an adventure archaeologist related to the legendary Francis Drake. In the third installment of the series, released in 2011 for Ps3, our hero will go after the legendary Iram of the columns (in the game called Ubar). To do so, he will set off on an unprecedented adventure, touching countries such as France, Syria, England and Yemen.
It will be from this last country that Drake will leave for the legendary Rub ‘al-Khali desert where, accompanied by a band of Bedouins, he will discover the secrets that the desert sands hide.
Sana’a, from “One Thousand and One Nights”
The game is still considered one of the masterpieces of the saga and its generation in general. An exciting storyline full of twists and dream locations, a living paradise for any lover of adventure and the Middle East who are the masters in this game. After a short excursion to a Syrian castle we will in fact venture into the Arabian peninsula with destination Sana’a.
The Arab city is probably one of the most beautiful images in the history of video games with its characteristic houses that seem to come out of “The Thousand and One Nights”. It is no coincidence that Pierpaolo Pasolini decided to set his cinematic version of the Arab opera in this city.
A spectacular whole
From the city we will then move to the Rub ‘al-Khali desert (The Empty Quarter), the second largest sand desert in the world. This last part of the journey will be peppered with plane crashes, Bedouins and spectacular battles in desert cities. Here we are finally shown Iram in all her legendary splendor.
In fact, according to the Koranic tradition the city was the capital of the ‘Ad tribe. The latter prospered thanks to trade from all over the Arabian peninsula, their refusal to follow the prophet Hud, however, led them to an indecorous ruin. In the video game, the city will become prey to jinn and other strange creatures, transforming it into a sort of El Dorado of the desert.
A great memory
The game is undoubtedly one of our favorite games of all time and it highlights a country that, lately, is only mentioned for its tragedies. We hope that by showing you these images you will be able to remember all the treasures that Yemen and its desert have to offer us.
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