Ain al-Tamr

Ain al-Tamr, the spring of dates, is an oasis in the desert west of Karbala where springs rise and support extensive date groves, and it has been settled for a very long time: it lay in the territory of the Lakhmid kingdom of al-Hira, an Arab Christian state that flourished before Islam, and nearby stand the ruins of al-Aqiser, a church generally dated to the fifth or sixth century and among the oldest Christian buildings in the region, built of mudbrick with a basilica plan still legible. The dates from here are well regarded and sold across the country. The oasis sits on the road toward Al-Ukhaidir, and the two are usually combined on a day out from Karbala.

History

The town was long known as Shethatha or Shefatha, "clear water" or "pure spring" in ancient Aramaic, until it was renamed Ayn al-Tamr in 1938, and its palm orchards made it an important source of dates. The region holds old palaces and monasteries, among them Al-Ukhaidir Fortress and Al-Aqiser Church, one of the oldest churches in the Middle East (Wikipedia, Ayn al-Tamr).

What's there

• Date palm groves - extensive plantations fed by the springs.
• Al-Aqiser church - the mudbrick ruins of an early Christian basilica.
• Desert springs - the water sources the oasis depends on.
• The date trade - fruit sold and processed in the settlement.

When to go

November to March; the western desert is severe from April to October. Date harvest around September and October is the busiest agricultural moment. Mornings are best for the ruins.

Things to know

The church is a mudbrick ruin at low level with no interpretation and needs local directions to find. There are no visitor facilities. It is a stop combined with Al-Ukhaidir rather than a destination.

Nearby

Al-Ukhaidir fortress lies east; Karbala is beyond it.