''Al-Aḥsāʾ'' ( ar, الْأَحْسَاء, ''al-ʾAhsā''), also known as al-Ḥasāʾ () or Hajar (), is a traditional
oasis
In ecology, an oasis (; ) is a fertile area of a desert or semi-desert environment'ksar''with its surrounding feeding source, the palm grove, within a relational and circulatory nomadic system.”
The location of oases has been of critical imp ...
historical region
Historical regions (or historical areas) are geographical regions which at some point in time had a cultural, ethnic
An ethnic group or an ethnicity is a grouping of people who identify with each other on the basis of shared attributes that ...
in eastern
Saudi Arabia
Saudi Arabia, officially the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia (KSA), is a country in Western Asia. It covers the bulk of the Arabian Peninsula, and has a land area of about , making it the fifth-largest country in Asia, the second-largest in the A ...
whose name is used by the
Al-Ahsa Governorate
Al Ahsa ( ar, ٱلْأَحْسَاء, Al-Aḥsāʾ, locally pronounced ''al-Ḥasāʾ'' ( ar, الحَسا, links=https://ar.wikipedia.org/wiki/%D8%A7%D9%84%D8%A3%D8%AD%D8%B3%D8%A7%D8%A1_(%D9%85%D8%AF%D9%8A%D9%86%D8%A9))) is the largest governora ...
, which makes up much of that country's
Eastern Province. The
oasis
In ecology, an oasis (; ) is a fertile area of a desert or semi-desert environment'ksar''with its surrounding feeding source, the palm grove, within a relational and circulatory nomadic system.”
The location of oases has been of critical imp ...
is located about inland from the coast of the
Persian Gulf
The Persian Gulf ( fa, خلیج فارس, translit=xalij-e fârs, lit=Gulf of Persis, Fars, ), sometimes called the ( ar, اَلْخَلِيْجُ ٱلْعَرَبِيُّ, Al-Khalīj al-ˁArabī), is a Mediterranean sea (oceanography), me ...
.
Al-Ahsa Oasis composed four main cities and 22 villages. Two of these four main cities are
Al-Mubarraz
Al-Mubarraz is a city located at Al-Ahsa in the Eastern Province of The Kingdom of Saudi Arabia , and it's the north gate for Al-Ahsa governorate. With a population of 837,000 (as of 2020). Al-Mubarraz has historical importance because it was t ...
and
Al-Hofuf
Al-Hofuf ( ar, ٱلْهُفُوف ', also spelled Hofuf or Hufuf, also known as "Al-Hasa", "Al-Ahsa" or "Al-Hassa") is the major urban city in the Al-Ahsa Oasis in the Eastern Province of Saudi Arabia, with a population of 858,395 (as of 202 ...
, which are two of the 15 largest cities in Saudi Arabia.
With an area of around , Al-Ahsa Oasis is the largest oasis in the world. A large part of the Oasis is the
Empty Quarter
The Rub' al KhaliOther standardized transliterations include: / . The ' is the assimilated Arabic definite article, ', which can also be transliterated as '. (; ar, ٱلرُّبْع ٱلْخَالِي (), the "Empty Quarter") is the sand des ...
, also referred to as
Rub' al Khali
The Rub' al KhaliOther standardized transliterations include: / . The ' is the assimilated Arabic definite article, ', which can also be transliterated as '. (; ar, ٱلرُّبْع ٱلْخَالِي (), the "Empty Quarter") is the sand de ...
in Arabic. The Empty quarter covers almost three quarters of the land in the oasis whereas the residential areas constitute to 18% of the area of the oasis.
There are more than 2.5 million
palm tree
The Arecaceae is a family of perennial flowering plants in the monocot order Arecales. Their growth form can be climbers, shrubs, tree-like and stemless plants, all commonly known as palms. Those having a tree-like form are called palm ...
s including
date palms in the oasis, which is fed from a huge underground
aquifer
An aquifer is an underground layer of water-bearing, permeable rock, rock fractures, or unconsolidated materials (gravel, sand, or silt). Groundwater from aquifers can be extracted using a water well. Aquifers vary greatly in their characterist ...
and irrigated by the flow of more than 280
artesian springs, which allows agriculture all year round in a region that is otherwise sand desert.
Al-Ahsa is part of the region known historically for its high skill in tailoring, especially in making ''
bisht'', a traditional men's cloak. Al-Bahrain geographical province is in Eastern Arabia, which includes the eastern coast of the
Arabian Peninsula
The Arabian Peninsula, (; ar, شِبْهُ الْجَزِيرَةِ الْعَرَبِيَّة, , "Arabian Peninsula" or , , "Island of the Arabs") or Arabia, is a peninsula of Western Asia, situated northeast of Africa on the Arabian Plate ...
down to the borders of the
UAE
The United Arab Emirates (UAE; ar, اَلْإِمَارَات الْعَرَبِيَة الْمُتَحِدَة ), or simply the Emirates ( ar, الِْإمَارَات ), is a country in Western Asia (The Middle East). It is located at th ...
,
Oman
Oman ( ; ar, عُمَان ' ), officially the Sultanate of Oman ( ar, سلْطنةُ عُمان ), is an Arabian country located in southwestern Asia. It is situated on the southeastern coast of the Arabian Peninsula, and spans the mouth of t ...
, and also includes the island of
Awal
AWAL (an initialism of Artists Without a Label) is a British music distribution company owned by Sony Music Entertainment. The company serves as an alternative to the traditional music label deal, offering deal structures to artists and independ ...
(modern-day
Bahrain
Bahrain ( ; ; ar, البحرين, al-Bahrayn, locally ), officially the Kingdom of Bahrain, ' is an island country in Western Asia. It is situated on the Persian Gulf, and comprises a small archipelago made up of 50 natural islands and an ...
). Historically, Al-Ahsa was the main city in Al-Bahrain province, making up most of its population and providing most of its agricultural output.
The site became a
World Heritage
A World Heritage Site is a landmark or area with legal protection by an international convention administered by the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO). World Heritage Sites are designated by UNESCO for h ...
site in 2018.
It has also been part of the
UNESCO Creative Cities Network
The UNESCO Creative Cities Network (UCCN) is a project of UNESCO launched in 2004 to promote cooperation among cities which recognized creativity as a major factor in their urban development.[Al Ain
Al Ain ( ar, ٱلْعَيْن, , ) is a city in the western side of Tawam (region), Tuwwam region and the seat of the administrative division of its namesake, Al-Ain Region, Abu Dhabi, Al Ain in the Emirate of Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates. ...]
(in the
UAE
The United Arab Emirates (UAE; ar, اَلْإِمَارَات الْعَرَبِيَة الْمُتَحِدَة ), or simply the Emirates ( ar, الِْإمَارَات ), is a country in Western Asia (The Middle East). It is located at th ...
, on the border with
Oman
Oman ( ; ar, عُمَان ' ), officially the Sultanate of Oman ( ar, سلْطنةُ عُمان ), is an Arabian country located in southwestern Asia. It is situated on the southeastern coast of the Arabian Peninsula, and spans the mouth of t ...
) are the most important in the
Arabian Peninsula
The Arabian Peninsula, (; ar, شِبْهُ الْجَزِيرَةِ الْعَرَبِيَّة, , "Arabian Peninsula" or , , "Island of the Arabs") or Arabia, is a peninsula of Western Asia, situated northeast of Africa on the Arabian Plate ...
.
Etymology
Al-Ahsa is the plural form of "Al-Ḥisā" ( ar, ٱلْحِسَى) which refers to a landscape of accumulated sand with an impermeable layer underneath. When rain falls onto such a landscape, the water soaks through the sand (which also protects it from evaporation), and is retained by the impermeable base layer, forming an
aquifer
An aquifer is an underground layer of water-bearing, permeable rock, rock fractures, or unconsolidated materials (gravel, sand, or silt). Groundwater from aquifers can be extracted using a water well. Aquifers vary greatly in their characterist ...
. A well drilled into the land produces a sweet cold spring.
The area used to be called ''Pit-Ardashir'' () by Assyrians and Persians.
History
Ancient history
Al-Ahsa has been inhabited since prehistoric times, due to its abundance of water in an otherwise arid region. Natural fresh-water springs have surfaced at
oases in the region for millennia, encouraging human habitation and agricultural efforts (
date palm cultivation especially) since prehistoric times.
The oasis region and specifically the name Hajar (also Hagar, Haǧar) may be related to the
Ancient Near East
The ancient Near East was the home of early civilizations within a region roughly corresponding to the modern Middle East: Mesopotamia (modern Iraq, southeast Turkey, southwest Iran and northeastern Syria), ancient Egypt, ancient Iran ( Elam, ...
toponym
Agarum, mentioned in
Dilmun
Dilmun, or Telmun, ( Sumerian: , later 𒉌𒌇(𒆠), ni.tukki = DILMUNki; ar, دلمون) was an ancient East Semitic-speaking civilization in Eastern Arabia mentioned from the 3rd millennium BC onwards.
Based on contextual evidence, it was ...
ite inscriptions as the original home of their chief deity
Inzak
Inzak (also Enzag, Enzak, Anzak; in older publications Enshag) was the main god of the pantheon of Dilmun. The precise origin of his name remains a matter of scholarly debate. He might have been associated with date palms. His cult center was Ag ...
. If so, Agarum probably referred to the mainland area of Arabia lying opposite
Bahrain
Bahrain ( ; ; ar, البحرين, al-Bahrayn, locally ), officially the Kingdom of Bahrain, ' is an island country in Western Asia. It is situated on the Persian Gulf, and comprises a small archipelago made up of 50 natural islands and an ...
. According to the hypothesis, the Dilmun civilization originated at the oases of Eastern Arabia, but later relocated to the isle of Bahrain. This interpretation is not without criticism, however, and other sources place Agarum on
the isle of Failaka.
Islamic times
Eastern Arabia was conquered by the emerging
Rashidun Caliphate
The Rashidun Caliphate ( ar, اَلْخِلَافَةُ ٱلرَّاشِدَةُ, al-Khilāfah ar-Rāšidah) was the first caliphate to succeed the Islamic prophet Muhammad. It was ruled by the first four successive caliphs of Muhammad after his ...
during the
7th century. It was later inherited by the
Umayyads Umayyads may refer to:
*Umayyad dynasty, a Muslim ruling family of the Caliphate (661–750) and in Spain (756–1031)
*Umayyad Caliphate (661–750)
:*Emirate of Córdoba (756–929)
:*Caliphate of Córdoba
The Caliphate of Córdoba ( ar, خ ...
and
Abbasids
The Abbasid Caliphate ( or ; ar, الْخِلَافَةُ الْعَبَّاسِيَّة, ') was the third caliphate to succeed the Islamic prophet Muhammad. It was founded by a dynasty descended from Muhammad's uncle, Abbas ibn Abdul-Muttalib ...
. In 899 A.D., the region came under the control of the
Qarmatian
The Qarmatians ( ar, قرامطة, Qarāmiṭa; ) were a militant Isma'ili Shia movement centred in al-Hasa in Eastern Arabia, where they established a religious-utopian socialist state in 899 CE. Its members were part of a movement that adh ...
leader,
Abu Tahir al-Jannabi
Abu Tahir Sulayman al-Jannabi ( ar, ابو طاهر سلیمان الجنّابي, Abū Tāhir Sulaymān al-Jannābī, fa, ابوطاهر سلیمانِ گناوهای ''Abu-Tāher Soleymān-e Genāve'i'') was a Persian warlord and the ruler ...
, and was declared independent from the Abbasid Caliphate of
Baghdad
Baghdad (; ar, بَغْدَاد , ) is the capital of Iraq and the second-largest city in the Arab world after Cairo. It is located on the Tigris near the ruins of the ancient city of Babylon and the Sassanid Persian capital of Ctesiphon ...
. Its capital was at al-Mu'miniya near modern
Hofuf
Al-Hofuf ( ar, ٱلْهُفُوف ', also spelled Hofuf or Hufuf, also known as "Al-Hasa", "Al-Ahsa" or "Al-Hassa") is the major urban city in the Al-Ahsa Oasis in the Eastern Province of Saudi Arabia, with a population of 858,395 (as of 202 ...
. By circa 1000, Al-Ahsa became the 9th largest city worldwide supporting 100,000 inhabitants. In 1077, the Qarmatian state of Al-Ahsa was overthrown by the
Uyunids
The Uyunid dynasty ( ar, العيونيون, al-ʿUyūnīyūn) were an Arab dynasty that ruled Eastern Arabia for 163 years, from the 11th to the 13th centuries. Their sect is disputed; some sources mention they were Shia, others Sunni. They ...
. Al-Ahsa subsequently fell under the rule of the
Bahrani
The Baharna ( ar, بحارنة) are the indigenous Shia Muslim inhabitants of Bahrain who inhabited the area before the arrival of Sunni Muslim Arab tribes from Najd, particularly by Banu Utbah in the 18th century which the Bahraini royal famil ...
dynasty of the
Usfurids
The Usfurids ( ar, آل عصفور, Al ʿUṣfūr) were an Arab dynasty that in 1253 gained control of Eastern Arabia, including the islands of Bahrain. They were a branch of Uqaylids who re-migrated to Arabia after the fall of their rule in Syr ...
, followed by their relatives, the
Jabrid
The Jabrids ( ar, الجبريون, al-Jabrīyūn) or Banu Jabr were an Arab dynasty that ruled all of Arabia except for Hejaz and Yemen, and expanded into Iran's southern coast, controlling the Strait of Hormuz Prominence
Their most prominent r ...
s, who became one of the most formidable powers in the region, retaking the islands of
Bahrain
Bahrain ( ; ; ar, البحرين, al-Bahrayn, locally ), officially the Kingdom of Bahrain, ' is an island country in Western Asia. It is situated on the Persian Gulf, and comprises a small archipelago made up of 50 natural islands and an ...
from the princes of
Hormuz. The last Jabrid ruler of Bahrain was
Muqrin ibn Zamil Muqrin ibn Zamil ( ar, مقرن بن زامل ''Migrin ibin Zāmil'') was the Jabrid ruler of eastern Arabia, including al-Hasa, al-Qatif, and Bahrain, and the last Jabrid ruler of Bahrain and Eastern Arabia. He was defeated in battle by an invadi ...
.
In 1521, the
Portuguese Empire
The Portuguese Empire ( pt, Império Português), also known as the Portuguese Overseas (''Ultramar Português'') or the Portuguese Colonial Empire (''Império Colonial Português''), was composed of the overseas colonies, factories, and the l ...
conquered the Awal Islands (the islands that comprise present day Bahrain) from the Jabrid ruler Muqrin ibn Zamil, who fell strongly in battle. The Jabrids struggled to maintain their position on the mainland in the face of the
Ottomans and their tribal allies, the
Muntafiq
Al-Muntafiq ( ar, المنتفق) was a large Arab tribal confederation of southern Iraq and Kuwait. The confederation's tribes predominantly settled in Iraq's southern provinces and northern Kuwait. The confederation is not homogeneous in terms ...
. In 1550, Al-Ahsa and nearby
Qatif
Qatif or Al-Qatif ( ar, ٱلْقَطِيف ''Al-Qaṭīf'') 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 ...
came under the sovereignty of the
Ottoman Empire
The Ottoman Empire, * ; is an archaic version. The definite article forms and were synonymous * and el, Оθωμανική Αυτοκρατορία, Othōmanikē Avtokratoria, label=none * info page on book at Martin Luther University) ...
with
Sultan
Sultan (; ar, سلطان ', ) is a position with several historical meanings. Originally, it was an Arabic abstract noun meaning "strength", "authority", "rulership", derived from the verbal noun ', meaning "authority" or "power". Later, it ...
Suleiman I.
Al-Ahsa was nominally the
Eyalet of Lahsa in the Ottoman administrative system, and was usually a
vassal
A vassal or liege subject is a person regarded as having a mutual obligation to a lord or monarch, in the context of the feudal system in medieval Europe. While the subordinate party is called a vassal, the dominant party is called a suzerain. W ...
of the Porte. Qatif was later lost to the Portuguese.
The Ottomans were expelled from Al-Ahsa in 1670,
and the region came under the rule of the chiefs of
Banu Khalid
Bani Khalid ( ar, بني خالد) is an Arab tribal confederation mainly inhabiting Eastern Arabia and Najd. The tribe ruled southern Iraq, Kuwait, and Eastern Arabia (al-Hasa and al-Qatif) from the 15th century to the 18th century, and ag ...
tribe.
Al-Ahsa, along with Qatif, was incorporated into the
Wahhabist
Wahhabism ( ar, ٱلْوَهَّابِيَةُ, translit=al-Wahhābiyyah) is a Sunni Islamic revivalist and fundamentalist movement associated with the reformist doctrines of the 18th-century Arabian Islamic scholar, theologian, preacher, and ...
Emirate of Diriyah
The Emirate of Diriyah (), also known as the First Saudi State, was established in February 1727 (1139 Hijri year, AH). In 1744, the emir of Najdi town called Diriyah Muhammad bin Saud and the religious leader Muhammad ibn Abd al-Wahhab formed a ...
in 1795, but returned to Ottoman control in 1818 with an invasion ordered by
Muhammad Ali of Egypt
Muhammad Ali Pasha al-Mas'ud ibn Agha, also known as Muhammad Ali of Egypt and the Sudan ( sq, Mehmet Ali Pasha, ar, محمد علي باشا, ; ota, محمد علی پاشا المسعود بن آغا; ; 4 March 1769 – 2 August 1849), was ...
. The Banu Khalid were again installed as rulers of the region but, in 1830, the
Emirate of Nejd retook the region.
Direct Ottoman rule was restored in 1871,
and Al-Ahsa was placed first under
Baghdad Vilayet
ota, ولايت بغداد''Vilâyet-i Bagdad''
, conventional_long_name = Baghdad Vilayet
, common_name = Baghdad Vilayet
, subdivision = Vilayet
, nation = Ottoman Empire
, year_start = 18 ...
and with Baghdad's subdivision
Basra Vilayet in 1875. In 1913,
ibn Saud, the founder of modern
Saudi Arabia
Saudi Arabia, officially the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia (KSA), is a country in Western Asia. It covers the bulk of the Arabian Peninsula, and has a land area of about , making it the fifth-largest country in Asia, the second-largest in the A ...
,
annexed Al-Ahsa and Qatif into his domain of
Najd.
Saudi independence
On 2 December 1922,
Percy Cox
Major-General Sir Percy Zachariah Cox (20 November 1864 – 20 February 1937) was a British Indian Army officer and Colonial Office administrator in the Middle East. He was one of the major figures in the creation of the current Middle East.
...
officially notified Kuwait's Emir Sheikh Ahmad Al-Sabah that Kuwait's borders had been modified. Earlier that year, Major John More, the British representative in
Kuwait
Kuwait (; ar, الكويت ', or ), officially the State of Kuwait ( ar, دولة الكويت '), is a country in Western Asia. It is situated in the northern edge of Eastern Arabia at the tip of the Persian Gulf, bordering Iraq to the nort ...
, had met with
Ibn Saud of Saudi Arabia to settle the border issue between Kuwait and
Najd. The result of the meeting was the
Uqair Protocol of 1922
The Uqair Protocol or Uqair Convention was an agreement at Uqair on 2 December 1922 that defined the boundaries between Mandatory Iraq, the Sultanate of Nejd and Sheikhdom of Kuwait. It was imposed by Percy Cox, the British High Commissioner to I ...
, in which Britain recognized
ibn Saud's sovereignty over territories claimed by the emir of Kuwait.
Al-Ahsa was taken from the Ottomans in 1913, bringing the Al Sauds control of the Persian Gulf coast and what would become Saudi Arabia's vast oil reserves.
Economy
Historically, Al-Ahsa was one of the few areas in Arabian Peninsula in which
rice was grown.
In 1938,
petroleum
Petroleum, also known as crude oil, or simply oil, is a naturally occurring yellowish-black liquid mixture of mainly hydrocarbons, and is found in geological formations. The name ''petroleum'' covers both naturally occurring unprocessed crud ...
deposits were discovered near
Dammam,
resulting in the rapid modernization of the region. By the early 1960s, oil production levels reached per day. Today, Al-Ahsa is home to the largest conventional oil field in the world, the Ghawar Field.
Al-Ahsa is known for its
palm tree
The Arecaceae is a family of perennial flowering plants in the monocot order Arecales. Their growth form can be climbers, shrubs, tree-like and stemless plants, all commonly known as palms. Those having a tree-like form are called palm ...
s and
date palms. Al-Ahsa has over 2.5 million palm trees which produce over 100 thousand tons of dates every year.
The oasis is a popular tourist destination for
Qatar
Qatar (, ; ar, قطر, Qaṭar ; local vernacular pronunciation: ), officially the State of Qatar,) is a country in Western Asia. It occupies the Qatar Peninsula on the northeastern coast of the Arabian Peninsula in the Middle East; it sh ...
i nationals, who would make the 100-mile cross-border drive to visit local attractions, as well as to find bargains for food, spices and clothing in Al-Ahsa's bazaars. Economic ties were severely disrupted by the
Qatar diplomatic crisis
The Qatar diplomatic crisis was a diplomatic incident in the Middle East that began on 5 June 2017 when Saudi Arabia, the United Arab Emirates, Bahrain and Egypt severed diplomatic relations with Qatar and banned Qatar-registered planes and ship ...
, which led to the closure of Saudi Arabia's land border with Qatar. With the crisis' resolution and border reopening in 2021, however, Qatari tourists have gradually returned to Al-Ahsa; albeit in smaller numbers, due to improved Qatari self-sufficiency in goods.
Tourist sites
;Springs
The number of springs and freshwater sources in Al-Ahsa oasis range from 60 to 70, including those of ''Ummsaba'ah'', ''Al-Harrah'' and ''Al-Khadod''.
;Antiquities
Al-Ahsa oasis has a number of important archaeological sites.
;Landmarks
12 locations were defined as the Cultural Landscape of Al-Ahsa Oasis (the World Heritage site):
# Eastern Oasis ()
# Northern Oasis ()
# As-Seef ()
# Suq Al-Qaysariyah ()
#
Qasr Khuzam ()
# Qasr Sahood ()
#
Qasr Ibrahim ()
# Jawatha archaeological site ()
#
Jawatha Mosque
Jawatha Mosque ( ar, مَسْجِد جَوَاثَا, Masjid Jawāthā), also incorrectly spelled ''Al-Jawan'', is located in the Jawāthā, about northeast of Hofuf, Al-Ahsa, Saudi Arabia. It was the earliest known mosque built in eastern Arab ...
()
# Al-'Oyun village ()
#
Ain Qannas archaeological site ()
#
Al-Asfar lake
Al-Asfar Lake (Arabic: بحيرة الأصفر), also known as Asfar, Alasfar and Yellow Lake. Al-Asfar is located to the East of Umran city, in Al-Hasa, Eastern Saudi Arabia. The lake is surrounded by sand dunes and somewhat difficult to reach. ...
()
Climate
Al-Ahsa has a
hot desert climate
The desert climate or arid climate (in the Köppen climate classification ''BWh'' and ''BWk''), is a dry climate sub-type in which there is a severe excess of evaporation over precipitation. The typically bald, rocky, or sandy surfaces in desert ...
(
Köppen Climate Classification
The Köppen climate classification is one of the most widely used climate classification systems. It was first published by German-Russian climatologist Wladimir Köppen (1846–1940) in 1884, with several later modifications by Köppen, notabl ...
: ''BWh''), with long, extremely hot summers and short, very mild winters. The oasis has a very low annual precipitation of , but receives a small amount of rain in winter and spring.
See also
*
List of World Heritage sites in Saudi Arabia
The United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO) established in 1972 is engaged in the protection and preservation of cultural or natural heritage.
There are 6 UNESCO World Heritage Sites in Saudi Arabia inscribed fr ...
References
External links
Al-Ahsa municipality website* Tor Eigeland, 1970
''Saudi Aramco World''
* Jon Mandaville, 1974
''Saudi Aramco World''
{{Authority control
Arabian Peninsula
Eastern Province, Saudi Arabia
Historical regions in Saudi Arabia
Historical regions
History of the Middle East
Oases of Saudi Arabia
World Heritage Sites in Saudi Arabia