April 30, 2024 • 18 mins
Zerzura is a legendary lost oasis city deep in the Sahara desert said to be guarded by black giants wielding golden swords and filled to the brim with treasure. The legend goes back millennia and showed up in books and maps published by European explorers in the 18th and 19th centuries. Despite numerous daring expeditions, Zerzura remains a mystery, possibly still waiting to be unearthed. Tune into this exciting minisode as we cover the lore of this mythical city — could the sands of time be ready to reveal their secrets?
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Episode Transcript
Available transcripts are automatically generated. Complete accuracy is not guaranteed.
(00:01):
Deep in the Sahara Desert liesa city filled with treasure,
and no one has been able to find it.
The legend of Zohratells of a mythical place
guarded by giants with access to water
in the otherwise uninhabitable desert.
There's no shortage of legends of lostancient cities,
(00:21):
and most of those are just that legends.
But other lost communitiesin the same region have been found.
Could Zohra be out there
waiting to be discovered?
This is a study of strange.
(00:55):
Welcome to the show.
I'm Michael May.
This is where we cover all of all of myfavorite strange mysteries from history.
If you're new here,
my usual format is to shareone of these strange tales with a guest.
But today is a minnesota in Minnesota.
Or when it's just. It's just meand you listener.
And I'm going to read a story that.
(01:17):
Well, a storythat's fascinating and strange.
So let's dive right in.
TodayI'm covering the legend of Zeus Zohra,
a mythical city in the Sahara, akin
to the city of Z, Shambala,
and many other legends of lost citiesthat you've probably heard about.
Most lost citiescome with rumors of goals,
(01:39):
of wealth, of treasureand lost technology.
And Zohra is not that different.
And adventurers have been searching for itin earnest since about 1840.
We also have an interestingHollywood connection here
because one of the lead charactersin the search of Zeus,
there is a character in an Oscar winningfilm, The English Patient.
(02:03):
So that's a fun little connection,which I will explain a little later
on in the story here.
So what is 0000 is a mythical citysaid to lie in the vast
deserts of the Sahara somewherewest of the Nile River in Egypt or Libya?
The first known referencesto Zeus zohra date
(02:24):
back to the 13th centuryin Arabic manuscripts
describing it as a white cityand the desert guarded by black giants
wielding golden swordsand home to treasures beyond imagination.
This is a reference likely to the taboopeople, nomads in Chad and Libya,
whose ancestors used to raid oases outin the Sahara.
(02:47):
Quick, honest little comment.
I couldn'tfigure out what the plural of Oasis was
that it was like Oasis is oases osai.
It is oases.
So, you know, fun factthat I just learned tonight
Zora is a place that promised lush
oases and peace starklycontrasting with the harsh
(03:10):
surrounding desert,
which is a largely uninhabited andinhospitable part of the Sahara Desert.
The terrain is rugged and desolate,in stark contrast to the fertile
Nile Valley,where ancient Egyptian civilization
was based.
The first documented
mentions of 008 can be traced backto medieval Arabic manuscripts.
(03:35):
As I briefly mentioned a few seconds ago,
which conjurean image of a mysterious oasis described
as the oasis of little birdsor an opulent white city in the desert.
The earliest known reference to the eraappears in a 13th century
Arabic manuscript known as the Kitab
Al Connotes or Book of Hidden Pearls.
(03:58):
This work was part of a series of writingson geography
by the scholars of the Islamic Golden Age,
who compiled a vast amount of knowledgeabout the known world at the time.
This places the legend of Zohrawithin the Islamic period of Egypt's
history following the Arab conquestin the seventh century A.D..
(04:19):
The text elaborates on the city'sfortifications and its treasures,
including gardens that never wither andbuildings adorned with precious stones.
This book serves as a geographicaland fantastical travel guide,
blending real observationswith mythic elements,
which was a common practicein literature at the time.
(04:42):
Another significant mention of Zohra
comes from the writings of Alma Creasey,
a 15th century Egyptian historian.
In his work, El Ketut,
he compiled a comprehensive historiesand descriptions of Egypt,
including references to mythicaland real locations beyond the Nile Valley.
(05:03):
He mentions Zohra brieflyas part of the lore
of the Libyan desert,noting it as a place of mystery
that many had sought,but few, if any, had found.
The legend of this lost
city entered European awarenessduring the age of exploration
as explorers sought to mapAfrica's interior and its coastlines.
(05:26):
They often referred to Arabic textsand guides.
Zohra appeared in some Europeanmaps of the 16th century
as a city in the interior of NorthAfrica, marked in the vague
expanses of the Sahara, illustratingboth the fascination with
and the mysterysurrounding this oasis city.
(05:47):
Theseearly references paint a picture of zuwara
not just as a geographical place,but as a symbol
of the ultimate unreachable paradise,a concept
that resonated with both the medievalArab world
and later with European explorers.
The blending of mythand geography in these accounts has helped
(06:07):
cement Zora's placein the lore of Desert Mysteries.
Interestingly,the city is also depicted in some stories
as being untouched by the world'scalamities, with its inhabitants
unaware of the existence of the worldbeyond their city.
A narrative of isolationand an untouched civilization, contrasting
(06:28):
with the turbulent history of Egypt,which was marked by invasions,
conquests and cultural exchanges.
Side note I cannot find specifics onwhere this specifically is mentioned.
Just articles and parts of a bookthat I used as research.
Let's say there are stories like this,but where those stories are from
mean, I'm not quite sure
(06:50):
now where this
legendary Lost City comes to fruitionin a modern sense
and creates a plethora of adventuringadventures.
Comes from the book Modern Egyptand Thebes being a description of Egypt,
which was published in 1843by English Egyptologist
John Gardner Wilkinson and his bookwas based on accounts from people
(07:12):
he interviewed living in the DakhlaOasis in Egypt.
Now, let me point outreal quick, Oasis or always oases.
They're not just, you know,what you see in movies or reading books
as this like figment of your imaginationor a mirage on the horizon.
They are real and they are fertile
(07:32):
areas in a desertthat can sustain life, plants, water, etc.
They can be found throughout the Sahara,
typically in canyons,and they've been used for millennia
for travelersand nomads and small communities.
So if there was an ancient cityin the Sahara Desert,
being at an oasisis an important detail in these stories
(07:54):
because it makes it more likelyto be real.
Now, Wilkinson wrote in his bookthis a quote, Five or six days
west of the Road to Farah,three is another oasis called Wadi Zohra,
about the size of the Oasis Parvaabounding in palms
with springsand some ruins of uncertain date.
(08:15):
It was discovered about 20 years ago byan Arab while in search of a stray camel,
and from seeing the footsteps of menand sheep, he supposed it to be inhabited.
End quote.
That being said, future expeditions
and travels never found Zohra.
(08:35):
One of thekey figures in the search for this city
during the 1800s was a German explorer,Friedrich Gerhart.
Rolfes Roelofs embarkedon several expeditions into the Sahara
and the Libyan desert from the 1860sonwards.
In 1865, Rolfes made a significant journeyacross the Libyan desert,
reaching places like Kumara,which later explorers
(08:58):
hypothesized could be linked to the zooor legend
due to its relative isolationand the presence of water sources,
an essential characteristicof the mythical oasis.
Well, Rolfes did not find zero.
His explorations contributed significantly
to European knowledge of the Saharaas geography.
(09:18):
He created detailed maps and observations,which provided
valuable informationabout the desert routes and conditions
which would prove crucialfor future expeditions.
Another notable explorer of thisera was Heinrich Barth, a German scholar
and explorer who traveled extensivelyin North and West Africa in the 1850s.
Barth was primarily an academicwho focused on studying African languages,
(09:42):
cultures and histories.
But he also paid close attentionto the geographical descriptions
he encountered in 1850 during his travelsthrough Libya,
Barth collected storiesand legends from local tribes,
including those about the lostcities and oases
which could have been influencedby the zoo or legend.
Towards the end of the century,other explorers also ventured
(10:03):
into the Sahara, furthercharting its vast expanses.
In 1879 and Oscar Lynchtraveled from Morocco to Timbuktu,
passing through regions rumored to house
hidden oases and ancient cities.
He and other explorers of thisera collected many local legends
and geographical data,but none, of course, found Sir zero
(10:28):
in the 1920s and thirties,
the legend gained new lifewith the formation of the Zurich Club,
a group of British armyofficers and adventurers based in Cairo
who turned the search for the cityinto a semiofficial exploration.
Among them was Ralph Bagnall,who later founded
the Long Range Desert Group during WorldWar Two.
(10:50):
Bagnoli and his colleaguesutilized the latest technology of the time
motor vehicles and aircraftto scour the Libyan desert.
Though they made significant contributionsto desert navigation and geography,
Zohra remained elusive.
Some accounts from these adventuresclaimed desert dwellers
spoke of a moving city, one that didn'tstay in one place, seemingly possessing
(11:15):
supernatural powers, making it hard forthose unaware of its secrets to find it.
The explorers in this era have amazing
stories of traversing the desertusing automobiles, struggling
to find water, getting stuck in sand,deploying planes to scout ahead,
having done a lot of offroaddriving myself.
It seems like this would be a lot of fun,but I can't imagine venturing
(11:38):
into the Sahara in cars from the 1920sor teens
unsure of where you were actually headedor what you would find.
And of course, no roads whatsoeverand no gas stations.
So that's fun.
And now we move
to the English patient Count Laszlo DMC.
(11:59):
He was a Hungarian aristocrat,explorer and pilot.
He played a significant rolein the 20th century searches for Zeus era.
His life and adventures gained wide famethanks to his portrayal in the 1996
Oscar winning filmThe English Patient, played by Ray Finds.
However, the romantic and mysteriouscharacter portrayed in the film diverges
(12:22):
significantly from the historical realityof almost his life.
He became fascinated with Africaat a young age and almost moved to Cairo
in the late 1920s and quickly joined up
with these or Zamora Club.
Al Meses explorations focusedon the Libyan desert, where he conducted
(12:44):
several expeditions between 1926 and 1936
using aircraft and motor vehicles.
Unlike the solitary and romantic figurein the English patient,
the real al-Masri was a pragmaticand passionate explorer
who collaborated closely with others,including British
and Germanmilitary officers and scientists.
(13:06):
During his expeditions almost,he helped map parts of the Libyan desert
and was instrumental in locating the lost
oasis of Unlocked,
which I am going to just completely assume
that I am misprint sayingcorrect pronunciation or none.
This was a significantgeographical discovery, though
(13:28):
not the legendary lost city of Zuwaraitself.
All massesinterest in zero is primarily geographical
and adventurousrather than like treasure seeking
his contributions to
desert exploration were highly valued,and he published
several works on his findingsduring World War Two.
(13:49):
However, it is important to note that he,as a skilled pilot, led to him
working with the Axis powers,specifically the German Afrika Korps,
which adds a bit of controversyto the story, to say the least.
He did utilize his intimate knowledgeof the desert for military purposes,
which includedassisting in espionage activities.
(14:10):
Alma's personal life was complex,and it's subject to a lot of speculation.
He never married,
and he was rumored to have relationshipswith both men and women.
Though there's not really concreteevidence to either one of them,
Regardless of his ties to Nazis and WorldWar Two and controversies almost,
he was in reality a dedicated and skilledexplorer whose primary passion
(14:33):
was understanding and navigatingthe challenging environment of the Sahara.
And he never found zero.
After World War Two, interest in this lost
city waned,partly due to geographical shifts.
Political changes across the world,
and the harsh realities of desertexploration.
(14:56):
Modern satellitesand aerial surveys have mapped
the Sahara extensively nowadays,which leaves
little room for undiscovered citiesof significant size.
So is there Zuber even real?
Will we ever find it?
Many historians and archeologistsnow believe that Zuwara
(15:17):
was more of a metaphorthan a physical, tangible place.
However, some argue that Sir Zohracould have been based on a smaller, real
oasis that gradually became uninhabited
and was reclaimed by the desert sands.
This oasis could have servedas a temporary refuge or trade stop
(15:37):
and then embellished over centuriesof storytelling
and talking,and it became a legend or lost city.
I, for one, am a believer in this theory.
If Zuber did exist, itlikely wasn't the city of immense
wealth and strange guardiansdepicted in legend.
(15:58):
More plausibly and logically.
It was a vital stopover for caravans,perhaps
boasting a unique culturedeveloped from various influences
passing through its wealthcould have been in its water sources
and its location, which are obviouslyvital commodities in the desert.
And then shifting sands in the Saharamake it hard
(16:20):
for these types of placesto exist for centuries.
Despite the lack of evidencesupporting the physical existence
of Sir Zuber,the legend continues to captivate.
In a way, Zuzu representsthe human yearning for discovery
and the mysteriesthat lie just beyond the horizon,
(16:41):
whether as a metaphor for paradise
or a lost chapter of human history.
Zohra still invites us to explore her
question and imagine.
Thank you for listening
to the Minnesota The Study of Strangeand to be very forthcoming.
(17:02):
I intended Zo'or to be part of aof a much larger,
deeper dive with a guestin a normal formatted episode.
But after reading some amazing booksand doing a deep dive
into all of the major expeditionsfor the Lost City,
I realized just in terms of the content
that I produce,it made more sense to be in Minnesota.
(17:23):
But I do hope you enjoyed the story.
It is a fascinating one.
And if you like this type of contentabout specifically lost cities,
send me a message.
A study of strange at gmail.combecause there are more legendary
lost cities, some of which are not quiteas as well known as,
you know, the more fantastical onesthat you usually hear about.
(17:44):
Next time I am returning to mynormal format and we'll have a guest on.
We have some interesting truecrime episodes coming up very soon.
We also have afterafter gears of talking about it,
I finally have a UFO episodewhere I will be sharing stories
submitted to me that are realstories of people that saw something
(18:04):
unidentified in the sky.
So make sure you subscribe
so you can stay up to date andget notified when those episodes release.
You can support the show
and get additional content and blogsand all sorts of stuff
at our new substack, which you can findthrough our support tab on our website.
A study of Strange Tor.com.
Thank you all again for listening.
(18:26):
Goodnight.
Deep in the Sahara Desert liesa city filled with treasure,
and no one has been able to find it.
The legend of Zohratells of a mythical place
guarded by giants with access to water
in the otherwise uninhabitable desert.
There's no shortage of legends of lostancient cities,
(00:21):
and most of those are just that legends.
But other lost communitiesin the same region have been found.
Could Zohra be out there
waiting to be discovered?
This is a study of strange.
(00:55):
Welcome to the show.
I'm Michael May.
This is where we cover all of all of myfavorite strange mysteries from history.
If you're new here,
my usual format is to shareone of these strange tales with a guest.
But today is a minnesota in Minnesota.
Or when it's just. It's just meand you listener.
And I'm going to read a story that.
(01:17):
Well, a storythat's fascinating and strange.
So let's dive right in.
TodayI'm covering the legend of Zeus Zohra,
a mythical city in the Sahara, akin
to the city of Z, Shambala,
and many other legends of lost citiesthat you've probably heard about.
Most lost citiescome with rumors of goals,
(01:39):
of wealth, of treasureand lost technology.
And Zohra is not that different.
And adventurers have been searching for itin earnest since about 1840.
We also have an interestingHollywood connection here
because one of the lead charactersin the search of Zeus,
there is a character in an Oscar winningfilm, The English Patient.
(02:03):
So that's a fun little connection,which I will explain a little later
on in the story here.
So what is 0000 is a mythical citysaid to lie in the vast
deserts of the Sahara somewherewest of the Nile River in Egypt or Libya?
The first known referencesto Zeus zohra date
(02:24):
back to the 13th centuryin Arabic manuscripts
describing it as a white cityand the desert guarded by black giants
wielding golden swordsand home to treasures beyond imagination.
This is a reference likely to the taboopeople, nomads in Chad and Libya,
whose ancestors used to raid oases outin the Sahara.
(02:47):
Quick, honest little comment.
I couldn'tfigure out what the plural of Oasis was
that it was like Oasis is oases osai.
It is oases.
So, you know, fun factthat I just learned tonight
Zora is a place that promised lush
oases and peace starklycontrasting with the harsh
(03:10):
surrounding desert,
which is a largely uninhabited andinhospitable part of the Sahara Desert.
The terrain is rugged and desolate,in stark contrast to the fertile
Nile Valley,where ancient Egyptian civilization
was based.
The first documented
mentions of 008 can be traced backto medieval Arabic manuscripts.
(03:35):
As I briefly mentioned a few seconds ago,
which conjurean image of a mysterious oasis described
as the oasis of little birdsor an opulent white city in the desert.
The earliest known reference to the eraappears in a 13th century
Arabic manuscript known as the Kitab
Al Connotes or Book of Hidden Pearls.
(03:58):
This work was part of a series of writingson geography
by the scholars of the Islamic Golden Age,
who compiled a vast amount of knowledgeabout the known world at the time.
This places the legend of Zohrawithin the Islamic period of Egypt's
history following the Arab conquestin the seventh century A.D..
(04:19):
The text elaborates on the city'sfortifications and its treasures,
including gardens that never wither andbuildings adorned with precious stones.
This book serves as a geographicaland fantastical travel guide,
blending real observationswith mythic elements,
which was a common practicein literature at the time.
(04:42):
Another significant mention of Zohra
comes from the writings of Alma Creasey,
a 15th century Egyptian historian.
In his work, El Ketut,
he compiled a comprehensive historiesand descriptions of Egypt,
including references to mythicaland real locations beyond the Nile Valley.
(05:03):
He mentions Zohra brieflyas part of the lore
of the Libyan desert,noting it as a place of mystery
that many had sought,but few, if any, had found.
The legend of this lost
city entered European awarenessduring the age of exploration
as explorers sought to mapAfrica's interior and its coastlines.
(05:26):
They often referred to Arabic textsand guides.
Zohra appeared in some Europeanmaps of the 16th century
as a city in the interior of NorthAfrica, marked in the vague
expanses of the Sahara, illustratingboth the fascination with
and the mysterysurrounding this oasis city.
(05:47):
Theseearly references paint a picture of zuwara
not just as a geographical place,but as a symbol
of the ultimate unreachable paradise,a concept
that resonated with both the medievalArab world
and later with European explorers.
The blending of mythand geography in these accounts has helped
(06:07):
cement Zora's placein the lore of Desert Mysteries.
Interestingly,the city is also depicted in some stories
as being untouched by the world'scalamities, with its inhabitants
unaware of the existence of the worldbeyond their city.
A narrative of isolationand an untouched civilization, contrasting
(06:28):
with the turbulent history of Egypt,which was marked by invasions,
conquests and cultural exchanges.
Side note I cannot find specifics onwhere this specifically is mentioned.
Just articles and parts of a bookthat I used as research.
Let's say there are stories like this,but where those stories are from
mean, I'm not quite sure
(06:50):
now where this
legendary Lost City comes to fruitionin a modern sense
and creates a plethora of adventuringadventures.
Comes from the book Modern Egyptand Thebes being a description of Egypt,
which was published in 1843by English Egyptologist
John Gardner Wilkinson and his bookwas based on accounts from people
(07:12):
he interviewed living in the DakhlaOasis in Egypt.
Now, let me point outreal quick, Oasis or always oases.
They're not just, you know,what you see in movies or reading books
as this like figment of your imaginationor a mirage on the horizon.
They are real and they are fertile
(07:32):
areas in a desertthat can sustain life, plants, water, etc.
They can be found throughout the Sahara,
typically in canyons,and they've been used for millennia
for travelersand nomads and small communities.
So if there was an ancient cityin the Sahara Desert,
being at an oasisis an important detail in these stories
(07:54):
because it makes it more likelyto be real.
Now, Wilkinson wrote in his bookthis a quote, Five or six days
west of the Road to Farah,three is another oasis called Wadi Zohra,
about the size of the Oasis Parvaabounding in palms
with springsand some ruins of uncertain date.
(08:15):
It was discovered about 20 years ago byan Arab while in search of a stray camel,
and from seeing the footsteps of menand sheep, he supposed it to be inhabited.
End quote.
That being said, future expeditions
and travels never found Zohra.
(08:35):
One of thekey figures in the search for this city
during the 1800s was a German explorer,Friedrich Gerhart.
Rolfes Roelofs embarkedon several expeditions into the Sahara
and the Libyan desert from the 1860sonwards.
In 1865, Rolfes made a significant journeyacross the Libyan desert,
reaching places like Kumara,which later explorers
(08:58):
hypothesized could be linked to the zooor legend
due to its relative isolationand the presence of water sources,
an essential characteristicof the mythical oasis.
Well, Rolfes did not find zero.
His explorations contributed significantly
to European knowledge of the Saharaas geography.
(09:18):
He created detailed maps and observations,which provided
valuable informationabout the desert routes and conditions
which would prove crucialfor future expeditions.
Another notable explorer of thisera was Heinrich Barth, a German scholar
and explorer who traveled extensivelyin North and West Africa in the 1850s.
Barth was primarily an academicwho focused on studying African languages,
(09:42):
cultures and histories.
But he also paid close attentionto the geographical descriptions
he encountered in 1850 during his travelsthrough Libya,
Barth collected storiesand legends from local tribes,
including those about the lostcities and oases
which could have been influencedby the zoo or legend.
Towards the end of the century,other explorers also ventured
(10:03):
into the Sahara, furthercharting its vast expanses.
In 1879 and Oscar Lynchtraveled from Morocco to Timbuktu,
passing through regions rumored to house
hidden oases and ancient cities.
He and other explorers of thisera collected many local legends
and geographical data,but none, of course, found Sir zero
(10:28):
in the 1920s and thirties,
the legend gained new lifewith the formation of the Zurich Club,
a group of British armyofficers and adventurers based in Cairo
who turned the search for the cityinto a semiofficial exploration.
Among them was Ralph Bagnall,who later founded
the Long Range Desert Group during WorldWar Two.
(10:50):
Bagnoli and his colleaguesutilized the latest technology of the time
motor vehicles and aircraftto scour the Libyan desert.
Though they made significant contributionsto desert navigation and geography,
Zohra remained elusive.
Some accounts from these adventuresclaimed desert dwellers
spoke of a moving city, one that didn'tstay in one place, seemingly possessing
(11:15):
supernatural powers, making it hard forthose unaware of its secrets to find it.
The explorers in this era have amazing
stories of traversing the desertusing automobiles, struggling
to find water, getting stuck in sand,deploying planes to scout ahead,
having done a lot of offroaddriving myself.
It seems like this would be a lot of fun,but I can't imagine venturing
(11:38):
into the Sahara in cars from the 1920sor teens
unsure of where you were actually headedor what you would find.
And of course, no roads whatsoeverand no gas stations.
So that's fun.
And now we move
to the English patient Count Laszlo DMC.
(11:59):
He was a Hungarian aristocrat,explorer and pilot.
He played a significant rolein the 20th century searches for Zeus era.
His life and adventures gained wide famethanks to his portrayal in the 1996
Oscar winning filmThe English Patient, played by Ray Finds.
However, the romantic and mysteriouscharacter portrayed in the film diverges
(12:22):
significantly from the historical realityof almost his life.
He became fascinated with Africaat a young age and almost moved to Cairo
in the late 1920s and quickly joined up
with these or Zamora Club.
Al Meses explorations focusedon the Libyan desert, where he conducted
(12:44):
several expeditions between 1926 and 1936
using aircraft and motor vehicles.
Unlike the solitary and romantic figurein the English patient,
the real al-Masri was a pragmaticand passionate explorer
who collaborated closely with others,including British
and Germanmilitary officers and scientists.
(13:06):
During his expeditions almost,he helped map parts of the Libyan desert
and was instrumental in locating the lost
oasis of Unlocked,
which I am going to just completely assume
that I am misprint sayingcorrect pronunciation or none.
This was a significantgeographical discovery, though
(13:28):
not the legendary lost city of Zuwaraitself.
All massesinterest in zero is primarily geographical
and adventurousrather than like treasure seeking
his contributions to
desert exploration were highly valued,and he published
several works on his findingsduring World War Two.
(13:49):
However, it is important to note that he,as a skilled pilot, led to him
working with the Axis powers,specifically the German Afrika Korps,
which adds a bit of controversyto the story, to say the least.
He did utilize his intimate knowledgeof the desert for military purposes,
which includedassisting in espionage activities.
(14:10):
Alma's personal life was complex,and it's subject to a lot of speculation.
He never married,
and he was rumored to have relationshipswith both men and women.
Though there's not really concreteevidence to either one of them,
Regardless of his ties to Nazis and WorldWar Two and controversies almost,
he was in reality a dedicated and skilledexplorer whose primary passion
(14:33):
was understanding and navigatingthe challenging environment of the Sahara.
And he never found zero.
After World War Two, interest in this lost
city waned,partly due to geographical shifts.
Political changes across the world,
and the harsh realities of desertexploration.
(14:56):
Modern satellitesand aerial surveys have mapped
the Sahara extensively nowadays,which leaves
little room for undiscovered citiesof significant size.
So is there Zuber even real?
Will we ever find it?
Many historians and archeologistsnow believe that Zuwara
(15:17):
was more of a metaphorthan a physical, tangible place.
However, some argue that Sir Zohracould have been based on a smaller, real
oasis that gradually became uninhabited
and was reclaimed by the desert sands.
This oasis could have servedas a temporary refuge or trade stop
(15:37):
and then embellished over centuriesof storytelling
and talking,and it became a legend or lost city.
I, for one, am a believer in this theory.
If Zuber did exist, itlikely wasn't the city of immense
wealth and strange guardiansdepicted in legend.
(15:58):
More plausibly and logically.
It was a vital stopover for caravans,perhaps
boasting a unique culturedeveloped from various influences
passing through its wealthcould have been in its water sources
and its location, which are obviouslyvital commodities in the desert.
And then shifting sands in the Saharamake it hard
(16:20):
for these types of placesto exist for centuries.
Despite the lack of evidencesupporting the physical existence
of Sir Zuber,the legend continues to captivate.
In a way, Zuzu representsthe human yearning for discovery
and the mysteriesthat lie just beyond the horizon,
(16:41):
whether as a metaphor for paradise
or a lost chapter of human history.
Zohra still invites us to explore her
question and imagine.
Thank you for listening
to the Minnesota The Study of Strangeand to be very forthcoming.
(17:02):
I intended Zo'or to be part of aof a much larger,
deeper dive with a guestin a normal formatted episode.
But after reading some amazing booksand doing a deep dive
into all of the major expeditionsfor the Lost City,
I realized just in terms of the content
that I produce,it made more sense to be in Minnesota.
(17:23):
But I do hope you enjoyed the story.
It is a fascinating one.
And if you like this type of contentabout specifically lost cities,
send me a message.
A study of strange at gmail.combecause there are more legendary
lost cities, some of which are not quiteas as well known as,
you know, the more fantastical onesthat you usually hear about.
(17:44):
Next time I am returning to mynormal format and we'll have a guest on.
We have some interesting truecrime episodes coming up very soon.
We also have afterafter gears of talking about it,
I finally have a UFO episodewhere I will be sharing stories
submitted to me that are realstories of people that saw something
(18:04):
unidentified in the sky.
So make sure you subscribe
so you can stay up to date andget notified when those episodes release.
You can support the show
and get additional content and blogsand all sorts of stuff
at our new substack, which you can findthrough our support tab on our website.
A study of Strange Tor.com.
Thank you all again for listening.
(18:26):
Goodnight.
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