RAK ghost town Jazirat Al Hamra
The road leading to this ancient Ras Al Khaimah fishing village – once said to be home to three indigenous tribes but now abandoned – is extraordinarily quiet. So much so that if you believe all the stories and legends surrounding Jazirat Al Hamra, you might struggle to visit it even in day light. Any sighting escaped XPRESS during a recent dusk time visit but ask the locals and they will have plenty to keep you awake for a night.
Palace of nightmares Al Qasimi Palace, RAK
Built reportedly at a cost of Dh500 million over 25 years ago, Al Qasimi Palace, say locals, has remained uninhabited but for just one night. Rumours have it that strange happenings occurred in the palace on the first day after people moved in, ultimately driving them away.
Apparently one can see faces of little children peeping through the windows in the night who sometimes even cry out to people.
Thankfully XPRESS survived a visit to the palace in July, 2010. Dusty chandeliers, brightly coloured wall murals, mosaics of women, birds and rivers, however, do impart an eerie charm to the place, if you are brave enough to go see it.
Jumeirah’s House of Horror
From cries of a baby to the moans of a man – occupants of this villa in Jumeirah 1 had dozens of paranormal stories to recount to XPRESS. Nothing, however, comes close to what Mary, a resident, experienced one night when she felt someone take the socks off her in the dead of the night while she was sleeping. This happened seven times over that night in full view of her and her room mates, she claims.
Dubai’s spooky building
For well over two years, no one lived in building number 33 in Al Quoz’s Al Khail Gate community. The owners put it down to maintenance issues as did the watchmen but those who lived there said it was much more than that. “There had been stuff - toothbrushes, mobiles, items - that seemed to disappear and then turn up somewhere again later,” a resident told XPRESS shortly after moving to another building. Three suicides have since taken place in the complex.
Sharjah’s haunted hotel
This hotel on Sharjah’s King Faisal Street has a new identity today but back in the day, it was known for spooking its guests. Amongst those frightened during a stay here was none other than a decorated Indian pilot who had even written to the hotel claiming he felt the presence of an apparition in his room. Days later, XPRESS spent a night in the hotel thankfully to come out unscathed!
