Inspiration: Iram of the Pillars is half-mythical ancient lost city. There should be dozens, hundreds places like that on Athas, destroyed in the Purge and buried under the sand.

This came up during the Lovecraft book club. The Nameless City is a great short story inspired by the city of pillars, and a great adventure hook. A mystery of an ancient sand buried city and what seems to be a cult dedicated to lizards