Tarut Island
Encyclopedia
Tarut Island is an island in the Persian Gulf
belonging to Saudi Arabia.
. It extends from Ras Tanura
in the north to Qatif
in the west. It also is connected to Qatif by two causeways.
The island includes many smaller towns and villages such as Tarut town, Sanabes
, Darren, Ar-Rabaieyah, Az-Zour, Turkeya(officially called Ar-Rawdha), Almhaddoud(officially called Hai Al-Fath), and Al-Mazro'. Tarut, the largest town, includes the districts of Deerah, Aldshah, Alouqaf, Aredh Aljabl, Alvseel, Alhawami, Fareqk Al-Atrash, etc.).
. Present time has forgotten it and its treasures and it needs to be dusted off. When you are walking in its old villages, you will see adjoining houses that are built from mud and stone with narrow alleyways, too. Their presence is in the distant past. When looking at the houses, you draw memories from generation after generation that have long passed. This island is Tarut.
Tarut or Tarout means goodness and beauty in the Semitic languages. Historians differ on the correct name for it. The name variations include "TARO","THARRO" or "TWARO" in Greek literature, including the famous "Ptolemy’s Geography". Additionally, the town’s name is recorded as "TARU" in historical Chinese texts and "Ashtarut" in Arabic history. Today, however, most of the new researchers argue that the correct name is "Ashtarut" because the Canaanites and Phoenicians, who originally lived there, idolized the beauty of the town and called it Ashtarut. The term Ashtarut is also very similar to the new name Tarut, if we delete the first syllable.
We cannot separate the history of Tarut Island from the Eastern Arabian Peninsula's history. Tarut Island has survived for thousands of years and its antiquities prove that it was inhabited since the Stone Age, approximately 5000 B.C. It died several civilizations ago and was part of many Empires and countries. Some of them were before Christ, such as Dilmun
, the Akkad
ian country, the Assyria
n country, and the Persian Empire. Others were after Christ such as the Persian Empire, the Islamic country, the Portuguese Empire
, and the Ottoman Empire
. Now, Tarut Island belongs to Qatif city in the Eastern province of Saudi Arabia. It was a place of economic migration because of its important strategic location and it was a trade center between Indian contraries, the Arabian Peninsula and Iraq. In addition, it has a lot of natural resources, including pearl fisheries and date farms.
Tarut Island is like any ancient site. It has many antiquities. Some of its artifacts have been discovered, while others remain hidden. Once discovered, the antiquities are taken to large museums in many countries. We can see the island's antiquities in the Riyadh National Museum, and the Regional Museum of Dammam. If someone discovers some antiquities hidden on their land, he tells no one for fear of the government seizing his land. However, some people will steal antiquities to keep for themselves. In rare cases, people may destroy artifacts not realizing their importance. Many of the island's antiquities are thought to have been brought from other places based on its strategic location as a trade route.
In the 1970s in a palm tree grove burials were discovered that dated to the middle of the third millennium B.C. These burials contained a considerable number of ceramic vessels and metal objects. Of special significance was the discovery of carved cholrite vessels with elaborate carved decorations. This type of vessels is referred to as the 'Intercultural Style' for vessels of this type have been found in Mesopotamia, the Iranian Plateau, the Indus Valley and Central Asia.
The Traveling Markets and their locations:
Persian Gulf
The Persian Gulf, in Southwest Asia, is an extension of the Indian Ocean located between Iran and the Arabian Peninsula.The Persian Gulf was the focus of the 1980–1988 Iran-Iraq War, in which each side attacked the other's oil tankers...
belonging to Saudi Arabia.
Location
It is the second longest island in the Persian Gulf after Qeshm Island which is the biggest island in the Gulf. Tarut is located in a quiet corner six kilometers or 3.72 miles from the coast of the Persian Gulf at the latitude of 26° north and a longitude of 50° east, approximately, and in the Eastern Province of Saudi ArabiaSaudi Arabia
The Kingdom of Saudi Arabia , commonly known in British English as Saudi Arabia and in Arabic as as-Sa‘ūdiyyah , is the largest state in Western Asia by land area, constituting the bulk of the Arabian Peninsula, and the second-largest in the Arab World...
. It extends from Ras Tanura
Ras Tanura
Ras Tanura is a city in the Eastern Province of Saudi Arabia located on a peninsula extending into the Persian Gulf...
in the north to Qatif
Qatif
Qatif or Al-Qatif is a governorate and urban area located in Eastern Province, Saudi Arabia. It extends from Ras Tanura and Jubail in the north to Dammam in the south, and from the Persian Gulf in the east to King Fahd International Airport in the west...
in the west. It also is connected to Qatif by two causeways.
The island includes many smaller towns and villages such as Tarut town, Sanabes
Sanabes
Sanabes is one of the villages in Tarut Island, the biggest island that is located on the east coast Saudi Arabia in the Persian Gulf. Sanabes extends on Tarut beach for about four kilometers which starts from what used to be called the Elementary School of Ammar Ibn Yasser and now Middle school...
, Darren, Ar-Rabaieyah, Az-Zour, Turkeya(officially called Ar-Rawdha), Almhaddoud(officially called Hai Al-Fath), and Al-Mazro'. Tarut, the largest town, includes the districts of Deerah, Aldshah, Alouqaf, Aredh Aljabl, Alvseel, Alhawami, Fareqk Al-Atrash, etc.).
Population and Area
As of 1992, the total population of the island was 38,055; it has 4,440 houses. The area of the island is 70 square kilometers. It is in a geologically stable location. History has not recorded any serious earthquake on the island. The area has groundwater at a depth of 1 to 2 meters under the surface of the Earth. All of the residents are Muslim - Shia .Climate
The Island's climate is unlike other Saudi Arabian cities, Tarut retains its warm temperature throughout winter, during which it gets around 0c (32F) at midnight to +25c (77F) in the afternoon. Summer temperatures are considerably hotter, breaking the +40c (104F) mark in the afternoon and +30c (86F) in the evening. Since the island is near the Arabian coast, the humidity is very high; sometimes reaching 96% humidity. Rainfall on the island is rare, but when it does rain, it is usually in December and January.History
If you would like to look at the deep past of Eastern Saudi Arabia, your mind will go to a small island in the Persian GulfPersian Gulf
The Persian Gulf, in Southwest Asia, is an extension of the Indian Ocean located between Iran and the Arabian Peninsula.The Persian Gulf was the focus of the 1980–1988 Iran-Iraq War, in which each side attacked the other's oil tankers...
. Present time has forgotten it and its treasures and it needs to be dusted off. When you are walking in its old villages, you will see adjoining houses that are built from mud and stone with narrow alleyways, too. Their presence is in the distant past. When looking at the houses, you draw memories from generation after generation that have long passed. This island is Tarut.
Tarut or Tarout means goodness and beauty in the Semitic languages. Historians differ on the correct name for it. The name variations include "TARO","THARRO" or "TWARO" in Greek literature, including the famous "Ptolemy’s Geography". Additionally, the town’s name is recorded as "TARU" in historical Chinese texts and "Ashtarut" in Arabic history. Today, however, most of the new researchers argue that the correct name is "Ashtarut" because the Canaanites and Phoenicians, who originally lived there, idolized the beauty of the town and called it Ashtarut. The term Ashtarut is also very similar to the new name Tarut, if we delete the first syllable.
We cannot separate the history of Tarut Island from the Eastern Arabian Peninsula's history. Tarut Island has survived for thousands of years and its antiquities prove that it was inhabited since the Stone Age, approximately 5000 B.C. It died several civilizations ago and was part of many Empires and countries. Some of them were before Christ, such as Dilmun
Dilmun
Dilmun or Telmun is a land mentioned by Mesopotamian civilizations as a trade partner, a source of the metal copper, and an entrepôt of the Mesopotamia-to-Indus Valley Civilization trade route...
, the Akkad
Akkad
The Akkadian Empire was an empire centered in the city of Akkad and its surrounding region in Mesopotamia....
ian country, the Assyria
Assyria
Assyria was a Semitic Akkadian kingdom, extant as a nation state from the mid–23rd century BC to 608 BC centred on the Upper Tigris river, in northern Mesopotamia , that came to rule regional empires a number of times through history. It was named for its original capital, the ancient city of Assur...
n country, and the Persian Empire. Others were after Christ such as the Persian Empire, the Islamic country, the Portuguese Empire
Portuguese Empire
The Portuguese Empire , also known as the Portuguese Overseas Empire or the Portuguese Colonial Empire , was the first global empire in history...
, and the Ottoman Empire
Ottoman Empire
The Ottoman EmpireIt was usually referred to as the "Ottoman Empire", the "Turkish Empire", the "Ottoman Caliphate" or more commonly "Turkey" by its contemporaries...
. Now, Tarut Island belongs to Qatif city in the Eastern province of Saudi Arabia. It was a place of economic migration because of its important strategic location and it was a trade center between Indian contraries, the Arabian Peninsula and Iraq. In addition, it has a lot of natural resources, including pearl fisheries and date farms.
The ethnicity of the people of Tarut Island
Tarut island was strategically located as a link between the East and the West. It was a place for merchants from all nations and races to meet throughout history. Major questions about Tarut Island are: Who were the first settlers? Who immigrated and settled on the island? Did they leave valuable artifacts? These questions are an enigma and are not fully clear to archaeologists and histories. They have not discovered satisfactory answers to these questions and hope to reveal more answers in the future. Archaeologists have discovered old artifacts dating back to the Stone Age and Bronze Age, but they have not been able to identify which people left them and where they came from. They can only designate artifacts by the archeological age from which they came. The genetic origins of Tarut's people contain a mix of different races: Mongolian, Caucasian and Negro who intermarried throughout history. Some of them have white skin and some have dark, some have curly hair and some have straight, they have different hair colors, different eye colors, different beard thicknesses, etc. These Semitic peoples, who are a mix of three races, migrated to the Eastern Arabia Peninsula from the North. The first Semitics to settle on Tarut Island were the Phoenicians, who descended from the Canaanites. They later immigrated to the Mediterranean coast. History records that the Persians forced groups of Roman prisoners to live on the Gulf Coast and in southern Iraq. The main Arabic tribes who survived on the Eastern Arabian Peninsula before Christ are Abdel Al-Qays, Kebe, Iyad, and Abu Kion.Artifacts
Artifacts unlock civilizations and the development of humanity throughout history. Antiquities preserve characteristics of a nation and distinguish it from others. This science examines the material remnants of ancient civilizations, objects large and small, engraved and written.Tarut Island is like any ancient site. It has many antiquities. Some of its artifacts have been discovered, while others remain hidden. Once discovered, the antiquities are taken to large museums in many countries. We can see the island's antiquities in the Riyadh National Museum, and the Regional Museum of Dammam. If someone discovers some antiquities hidden on their land, he tells no one for fear of the government seizing his land. However, some people will steal antiquities to keep for themselves. In rare cases, people may destroy artifacts not realizing their importance. Many of the island's antiquities are thought to have been brought from other places based on its strategic location as a trade route.
Discoveries of antiquities on Tarut Island
Discovery of antiquities on Tarut Island are rare today. The most famous discovery on Tarut island was in 1968 by the Danish Mission, which found broken pottery dating to 4500 B.C and others 3000 B.C. The last discovery was in 1993 on Hill of Alerbeieh. From time to time, Tarut's people have accidentally discovered deposits of antiquities. For example, some automobile repair shop owners were renovating their workshop and they found tombs dating back to 2000 BC. Another example is of a farmer who discovered precious stones and jars when he was working on his farm. A third example was in 1959 when a janitor discovered rocks engraved with the Sheba language while cleaning a street. In 1962, a municipality of Qatif discovered pottery, metal utensils, and a stone statue dating back to the Stone Age. When the government needed sand to build a bridge connecting Qatif and Tarut Island, they took the sand from Alerafeeuh hill. In 1980, a company wanted to extend water pipes and found an old jar that had silver coins. There are many stories like these of how artifacts were discovered on Tarut Island.In the 1970s in a palm tree grove burials were discovered that dated to the middle of the third millennium B.C. These burials contained a considerable number of ceramic vessels and metal objects. Of special significance was the discovery of carved cholrite vessels with elaborate carved decorations. This type of vessels is referred to as the 'Intercultural Style' for vessels of this type have been found in Mesopotamia, the Iranian Plateau, the Indus Valley and Central Asia.
The famous Tarut Statue
This famous discovered statue is Statue Tarut or Khadem Abid, and is displayed in the Riyadh National Museum. It was carved from limestone and its height is 94 cm. The subject is a man standing in a pose of prayer and reverence. It is similar to Sumer statues of the same age from Mesopotamia. This statue is thought to be either from Mesopotamia or created by a sculptor originally from there. There have been other statues discovered as well.The Unknown Fate Statue
The Unknown Fate Statue is a limestone statue that dates back to ancient Greek civilization. Its height is approximately a meter without its head. The statue is a girl with a chubby body wearing shoes, and is affixed on a base. The sculpting is beautifully done. Archeologists deduce from its size and appearance that the statue was exhibited in a public place such as main entrance gate or field. The story of its discovery is interesting: after it was discovered on Tarut island, the municipal administration of Qatif city buried it with other antiquities in Alaiyashi farm. Peter B. Cornwall, who specializes in Dilmun civilization, extracted the girl statue in 1940. Today, the statue's fate is unknown.Deerah Town
Deerah town or Dayra is the oldest town on Tarut Island and the highest town because of the buildings that have been built on top of each other since 5000 B.C. Its houses are considered to be heritage buildings of the Persian Gulf. Unfortunately almost all of the houses are destroyed and are gone because of neglect and urbanization. Many of the homes house poor people still today. Anyone can reach it easily from inside the city. Neighboring cities are connected by new roads. Those who visit this ancient town should not forget to carry their camera to take photos and shouldn’t hesitate to talk to the kind inhabitants who hurry in offering help and tourism guidance to those who visit their island.Tarut Castle
Tarut Castle is the most famous castle in the Eastern Province of Saudi Arabia and the oldest castle in the Persian Gulf. Tarut castle was built by the Portuguese in the 16th century, on the rubble from an event 5 thousand years before. It is located in the center of Tarut Island in Ishtarut near a waterhole known as Al-Awda in the sixteenth century. Later, it was fenced in. Moreover, it is located on beautiful main streets near shops and main services. It is even now fighting Nature’s force, age, and negligence to remain an important emblem of antiquities and heritage not only in our valuable country but worldwide. On the towers of the castle, the viewer can see most of the island, its shores and gardens from every direction, and can see where the blue of the sky meets the blueness of the sea and the greenness of the land.Donkeys Bath
Donkeys Bath was located in Aldeerah Town at the end of the Ein Al-aoudeh channel. Tourists would wash their donkeys since donkeys were the main transportation on Tarut Island before cars. It was destroyed in 1996 and there are no remains.Mohammed Abdelwahab Castle in Dareen
Sheikh Mohammed Abdelwahab, who is one of the famous pearl traders in the Persian Gulf built a castle in 1885. The castle was a place for meeting, hospitality, and trading. Today, ruins are the only evidence of the castle’s former existence.Dareen Port and Beach
The town of Dareen is located in the southwestern coast of Tarut Island. Its ports are famous and date back to the Greek age. It was a trade center between Arabian Peninsula, India, China, and Africa's eastern coast. Indian ships carried goods such as musk, perfumes, textiles, spices, precious stones, ivory and wood. Silk textiles came from China. Ivory came from Africa's eastern coasts. In the 1880s, Dareen Port became the most famous port in the Persian Gulf. The extraction of pearls made this port famous in the 1880s. Some traders settled in the Persian Gulf because of the pearl market. Now, Dareen Port is mostly used by fishermen who export fish to neighboring cities.The Traveling Markets
On most weekdays on Tarout Island there are traveling markets that move from town to town. You can buy a variety of new products that you would want (groceries, utensils, clothes, books, etc.). You negotiate a price that you are willing to pay.The Traveling Markets and their locations:
- Saturday market is in north AlRabieyah.
- Sunday market is in the neighborhood of Alhawwami and Alvesel in Tarut town.
- Monday market is in SanabisSanabesSanabes is one of the villages in Tarut Island, the biggest island that is located on the east coast Saudi Arabia in the Persian Gulf. Sanabes extends on Tarut beach for about four kilometers which starts from what used to be called the Elementary School of Ammar Ibn Yasser and now Middle school...
.
- Tuesday market is in the neighborhood of Alenjimh in Tarut town.
- Wednesday market is in north south AlRabieyah.
- Friday Market is in Dakhl Al-Mahdod
External links
- Portuguese Fort at Tarout Island, Splendid Arabia: A travel site with photos and routes