Tree of Life (Bahrain)

The Tree of Life (Shajarat-al-Hayat) in Bahrain is a 9.75 meters (32 feet) high Prosopis cineraria tree that is over 400 years old. It is on a hill in a barren area of the Arabian Desert, 2 kilometers (1.2 miles) from Jebel Dukhan, the highest point in Bahrain, and 40 kilometers from Manama, the nearest city.[1]

For other uses, see Tree of life (disambiguation).
Tree of Life
Tree of Life
Native nameShajarat-al-Hayat  (Arabic)
SpeciesProsopis cineraria
Tree of Life
Dirt road leading to the Tree of Life

The tree is abundantly covered in green leaves. Due to its age and the fact that it is the only major tree growing in the area, the tree is a local tourist attraction and is visited by approximately 65,000 people every year. The yellow resin is used to make candles, aromatics and gum; the beans are processed into meal, jam, and wine.[2]

It is not certain how the tree survives. Bahrain has little to no rain throughout the year. Its roots are 50 meters deep, which may be enough to reach the water sourceurl=https://www.klm.com/destinations/bg/en/article/the-mysterious-tree-of-life |title=The mysterious Tree of Life |publisher=KLM}}</ref> Others say the tree has learned to extract moisture from grains of sand. Some assert that the tree is protected by Enki, a god of water in Babylonian and Sumerian religion. Others claim that the tree is standing in what was once the Garden of Eden, and so has a more mystical source of water.[3]

In 2009, the tree was nominated to be on the New7Wonders of Nature list, but it did not finish on the list.[4]

In October 2010, archaeologists unearthed 500-year-old pottery and other artefacts in the vicinity of the tree. A soil and dendrochronology analysis conducted in the 1990s concluded that the tree was an Acacia planted in 1582.[5]

The tree was mentioned in the 1991 film L.A. Story, where Steve Martin calls it one of the most mystical places on earth.[2]

References
  1. "Tree of Life". Lonely Planet.
  2. "The mysterious Tree of Life". KLM.
  3. "Tree of Life". Atlas Obscura.
  4. Toumi, Habib (May 16, 2009). "Bahrain's Tree of Life ranks high on Seven Wonders list". Gulf News.
  5. "Amphitheatre plan for Tree of Life". Trade Arabia. Manama. April 7, 2013.

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