Shamar


 * You may be looking for the stage on this continent, Arid Sands.

"A town of ruins and ancient customs, now celebrating (at the time of the game) the Feast of Sun and Moon."

- Description in World Map

Shamar is one of the many locations and levels in Sonic Unleashed. It is derived from Middle Eastern themes with a desert landscape and is also based on Petra, Jordan with its numerous ruins.

Description
Shamar is based on Middle Eastern themes, such as Petra, Jordan, Iran, Iraq, and Quatar. It has ruins in several areas and has a giant desert landscape in the area.

History
Sonic comes here after Professor Pickle tells him that he decided to pack up and move his lab to Shamar, as the Gaia Manuscripts have a lot of information on the city. Shamar is also where Sonic fights the Dark Guardian.

Notable Locations
In the point-and-click HUB world of the Wii/PS2 version, many of the featured parts of Shamar are shown. These spots include:
 * Outside the Palace
 * The Merchants home
 * Palm tree Square
 * Back Alley
 * Pickle Lab
 * Food Market
 * Main Thoroughfare
 * Holy Shrine (as Sonic the Werehog)

Town Products
In each town across the world, Sonic is able to buy souvenirs, food items and extras (music, videos) using his rings. The Shamar shop, run by Ara, is called the Golden Trading Company.

Souvenirs

 * Photo Frame
 * Miniature Flag
 * Lunisolar Charm: "A traditional charm carved in relief. It does not deter birds."
 * Carpet: "The work of a master. It would cost an arm and a leg abroad."
 * Shamaran Sand
 * This souvenir is bought from Wentos

Food

 * Paaf (30 rings): "Bread that puffs up in the oven. Goes perfectly with curry."
 * Chai (50 rings)
 * Elastic Ice Cream (60 rings)
 * Curry (60 rings): "A spicy dish only true Shamarans would dare to eat in this heat."
 * Chili Dog (50 rings): "Sonic's favorite, a jumbo frank slathered with spicy chili."
 * Sparkle Gelatin (30 rings): "Jiggly sparkly jelly that melts your jaded heart."
 * Canned Juice (40 rings): "The solution to your thirst. Shake it for volatile results."
 * Peach (30 rings): "A sweet and juicy fruit that's to die for. Don't bruise it!"
 * Cookie (20 rings): "Cream filling between two crunchy biscuits. Addictive!"
 * Candy (10 rings): "A bite-sized candy. Don't try to talk while you're chewing!"
 * Sandy Dog - Complete the Shamar Hot Dog Vendor's missions.

Hallowmoon
A festival celebrated at the time of the game where the people of Shamar switch their daily life to nocturnal. The celebration is to honor the moon and the morning sun.

Trivia

 * A controversial review of the game said that "the people of Shamar get blown up by suicide bombers every day, so the events of the game will be somewhat normal to them." This is a reference to the fact that Shamar is based on the Middle East which currently has a big problem with terrorist attacks. The review has since been banned and the writer was fined for "writing and publishing offensive content that may harm the judgement of others."
 * On the walls of Shamar's Gaia gates, it reads, in Arabic, 'I testify that there is no god but Allah and Muhammad is his messenger'. This is most likely due to the fact that Shamar is based on Arabian cities, in which most inhabitants are Muslim.
 * "Shamar" is Hebrew for "guard", and this stage is home to the Dark Guardian.