Page 112 - The Truth of the Life of This World

seventy miles to the south on the island of Crete. At its peak, perhaps
30,000 people dwelled in Akrotiri, Thera's main city, in which were erect-
ed fresco-decorated palaces and from which were dispatched ships laden
with goods for trade. While scholars remain uncertain of the exact date –

estimates range from 1470 to 1628 BCE – they know the sequence of
events. Light earth tremors were followed by a violent quake, aftershocks,
and an explosion whose reverberations were audible as far as Scandinavia,
the Persian Gulf, and the Rock of Gibraltar. 12 Huge tidal waves arched up
and smashed Amnisos, the harbour of Knossos. Today, only the remains of
those glorious palaces are left.
The Minoan civilisation, one of the most important civilisations of the
period, most probably never expected such a drastic end. Those people
who boasted of their wealth and properties lost everything they had. Allah,
in the Qur'an, underlines that the drastic ends of such ancient civilisations
should be reflected on by contemporary societies:
Does it not teach them a lesson, how many generations We destroyed before
them, in whose dwellings they (now) go to and fro? Verily in that are Signs:
Do they not then listen? (Surat as-Sajdah: 26)

The Disaster of Pompeii
For historians the remains of Pompeii are striking testimony to the
debauchery that once prevailed there. Even the streets of Pompeii, a sym-

bol of the degeneration of the Roman Empire, evoke the enjoyment and
pleasure indulged in by this city: the once busy streets lined with taverns,
night-clubs, and brothels, still provide glimpses that the disaster left of the
daily life.
Here, on soil now enriched with volcanic ash, were once prosperous
farms, lush vineyards and luxurious summerhouses. Situated between the
slopes of Vesuvius and the sea, Pompeii was the favourite summer resort
of wealthy Romans who had escaped the sweltering capital. Yet, Pompeii
witnessed one of the most fearsome volcanic eruptions in history, obliter-
ating the town from the face of the earth. Today, the remains of the inhab-
itants of this city – asphyxiated by the poisonous vapours of Vesuvius as

110 Past Civilisations