Ayn al-Tamr or Ain al-Tamur ( ar, عين التمر) is a city in central
Iraq
Iraq,; ku, عێراق, translit=Êraq officially the Republic of Iraq, '; ku, کۆماری عێراق, translit=Komarî Êraq is a country in Western Asia. It is bordered by Turkey to Iraq–Turkey border, the north, Iran to Iran–Iraq ...
, located about 67 km west of
Karbala
Karbala or Kerbala ( ar, كَرْبَلَاء, Karbalāʾ , , also ;) is a city in central Iraq, located about southwest of Baghdad, and a few miles east of Lake Milh, also known as Razzaza Lake. Karbala is the capital of Karbala Governorat ...
near
Razzaza Lake. The oasis of Ayn al-Tamr comprises many villages which are famous for palm orchards and mineral water. The city is considered one of the main sources of
dates
Date or dates may refer to:
*Date (fruit), the fruit of the date palm (''Phoenix dactylifera'')
Social activity
*Dating, a form of courtship involving social activity, with the aim of assessing a potential partner
**Group dating
*Play date, an ...
that made it an important hub on the route of
Hajj
The Hajj (; ar, حَجّ '; sometimes also spelled Hadj, Hadji or Haj in English) is an annual Islamic pilgrimage to Mecca, Saudi Arabia, the holiest city for Muslims. Hajj is a mandatory religious duty for Muslims that must be carried ...
in ancient times.
Background
The city was originally known as ''Ŝeṯâṯa'' or ''Ŝefâṯa'', which means "clear water" or "pure spring" in ancient
Aramaic
The Aramaic languages, short Aramaic ( syc, ܐܪܡܝܐ, Arāmāyā; oar, 𐤀𐤓𐤌𐤉𐤀; arc, 𐡀𐡓𐡌𐡉𐡀; tmr, אֲרָמִית), are a language family containing many varieties (languages and dialects) that originated in ...
, until 1938 when it was renamed to Ayn al-Tamr, best known as the location of the
Battle of Ayn al-Tamr
The Battle of Ayn al-Tamr ( ar, معركة عين التمر) took place in modern-day Iraq (Mesopotamia) between the early Muslim Arab forces and the Sassanians along with their Arab Christian auxiliary forces. Ayn al-Tamr is located west of ...
(633).
The region contains many ancient palaces and monasteries, such as
Al-Ukhaidir Fortress
The Fortress of Al-Ukhaidir ( ar, حصن الأخيضر) or Abbasid palace of Ukhaider is located roughly 50 km south of Karbala, Iraq. It is a large, rectangular fortress erected in 775 AD with a unique defensive style. Constructed by the ...
, Bardawil Castle, Shimon ibn Jaber Palace, and
Al-Aqiser Church (Mini-Palace Church) which is one of the oldest churches in the
Middle East
The Middle East ( ar, الشرق الأوسط, ISO 233: ) is a geopolitical region commonly encompassing Arabian Peninsula, Arabia (including the Arabian Peninsula and Bahrain), Anatolia, Asia Minor (Asian part of Turkey except Hatay Pro ...
.
Notable people
*
Ibn Ishaq
Muḥammad ibn Isḥāq ibn Yasār ibn Khiyār (; according to some sources, ibn Khabbār, or Kūmān, or Kūtān, ar, محمد بن إسحاق بن يسار بن خيار, or simply ibn Isḥaq, , meaning "the son of Isaac"; died 767) was an 8 ...
, a
Muslim historian
:''This is a subarticle of Islamic scholars, List of Muslim scholars and List of historians.''
The following is a list of Muslim historians writing in the Tarikh, Islamic historiographical tradition, which developed from hadith literature in the ...
and
hagiographer.
*
Hasan of Basra, a well-known Muslim preacher, theologian, scholar.
*
Ibn Sirin, a Muslim mystic and interpreter of dreams.
*
Abu-l-'Atahiya
Abū al-ʻAtāhiyya ( ar, أبو العتاهية; 748–828), full name Abu Ishaq Isma'il ibn al-Qasim ibn Suwayd Al-Anzi (), was among the principal Arab poets of the early Islamic era, a prolific ''muwallad'' poet of ascetics who ranked with ...
, an
Arab poet.
*
Muhsin Mahdi, a leading authority on Arabian history, philology, and philosophy.
References
{{DEFAULTSORT:Ayn al-Tamr
Populated places in Karbala Province
District capitals of Iraq
Cities in Iraq