Qattara Oasis

Qattara Oasis (Arabic: وَاحَـة الْـقَـطَّـارَة‎, romanized: Wāḥat al-Qaṭṭārah) is an area of irrigated date farm in Al Ain, United Arab Emirates featuring a distinctive falaj (Arabic: فَـلَـج‎) irrigation system as well as a late Bronze Age archaeological site dated to 1800–1500 BCE.[1] The oasis has been extensively surveyed by students from Al Ain University since 2015,[2] and is home to 19 buildings of varying antiquity, of which nine are mosques. Among these are thought to be some of the oldest buildings still standing in Al Ain.[3]

This article is about an oasis in Al-Ain, the UAE. For other uses, see Qattara (disambiguation).
A pendant depicting a pair of entwined, horned animals found at Qattara Oasis, Al Ain
An iron age dagger, dated to 1,000 BCE, from Qattara. Displayed at the Louvre Abu Dhabi, on loan from Al Ain Museum.
Part of a series on the
History of the United Arab Emirates
UAE Prehistory
Ancient UAE
Pre-Islamic
Sasanian rule Battle of Dibba
Islamic Era
19th–20th century
Modern history
 UAE portal

History

Finds from the 14 metres (46 feet) Bronze Age burial at Qattara include Wadi Suq era chlorite jugs and bowls, bronze swords of between 30 and 60 cm (12 and 24 in) in length, and late Bronze Age and Iron Age short swords and daggers. Artefacts recovered also include carnelian jewellery, often associated by UAE historians with trading links to the Indus Valley. A find of particular interest from Qattara is a Bronze Age pendant discovered in the 1970s depicting a double-bodied or entwined pair of horned animals.[4] Made from electrum, an alloy of silver and gold, the motif is found repeated in a number of Bronze Age sites in the UAE.

The Wadi Suq communal tomb at Qattara is thought to have been constructed from stones recovered from previous Umm Al Nar burials.[5]

Recent buildings

Qattara also has an old souq dating back to the 1930s. Consisting itself of 19 shops arranged in an alley, the souq was partially restored in the 1970s.[6]

The falaj irrigation system at Qattara is protected by the Al Daramikah Tower, erected by the tribe which cultivated the oasis into the 20th century.[7] They also give their name to a house adjacent to the tower, the Al Darmaki House.[8]

See also

References
  1. Potts, Daniel T.; Nābūdah, Ḥasan Muḥammad; Hellyer, Peter (2003). Archaeology of the United Arab Emirates. London: Trident Press. pp. 174–177. ISBN 1-9007-2488-X. OCLC 54405078.
  2. "Emirati students dig to understand the past at Hili Oasis archaeological site". The National. Retrieved 2018-08-07.
  3. "gulftoday.ae | Delegates tour historical sites in Al Ain". www.gulftoday.ae. Retrieved 2018-08-07.
  4. "Al Ain National Museum launches Archaeology Workshops for Children". wam. Retrieved 2018-08-07.
  5. Rice, Michael (1994). The archaeology of the Arabian Gulf, c. 5000-323 BC. London: Routledge. p. 247. ISBN 020303726X. OCLC 252810506.
  6. "Al Qattara Oasis". Abu Dhabi Culture. 2018-01-29. Retrieved 2018-08-07.
  7. "Al Qattara Oasis". Abu Dhabi Culture. 2018-01-29. Retrieved 2018-09-18.
  8. User, Super. "Castles.nl - Al Daramikah Tower". www.castles.nl (in Dutch). Retrieved 2018-09-18.
This article is issued from Wikipedia. The text is licensed under Creative Commons - Attribution - Sharealike. Additional terms may apply for the media files.