Ain al-Tamr
Ain al-Tamr — the "spring of dates" — is an ancient oasis west of Karbala, fed by springs and ringed by palm groves. A waystation on desert routes since antiquity and the site of an early Islamic battle in 633 CE, it is the gateway to the governorate's desert wonders: Al-Ukhaidir, the church of Al-Aqiser, and the springs of Shithatha.
2 stops to discover
- 1
The Springs of Clear Water
This oasis was once called Shethatha, meaning 'clear water' or 'pure spring', for the five famous springs that fed its date palms, among them Ain al-Seeb and Ain al-Zarqa. Today you witness both revival and loss, as restoration has partly returned some springs while others have dried to dust.
- 2
Khalid's Conquest of 633
These palm groves and Sassanid frontier post were the stage for the Battle of Ayn al-Tamr in 633 CE, an early clash of the Muslim conquests. Here the famed commander Khalid ibn al-Walid overcame the Sassanid garrison and its allied Arab forces.
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