Al-ʽAdhbah explained

Official Name:Al-Adhbah
Native Name:عذبة
Settlement Type:Village
Pushpin Map:Qatar
Pushpin Label Position:bottom
Pushpin Map Caption:Location in Qatar
Subdivision Type:Country
Subdivision Type1:Municipality
Subdivision Name1:Ash Shamal
Unit Pref:Imperial
Population Blank1 Title:Ethnicities
Population Blank2 Title:Religions
Coordinates:26.0517°N 51.3219°W

Al-Adhbah (Arabic: عذبة; also spelled as Al Athbah) is a village in Qatar, located in the municipality of Ash Shamal. It previously served as Bedouin camping ground and had 5 masonry wells in the early 1900s.[1]

Etymology

Al Adhbah translates to 'sweet' in English. It was given this name because its fresh water was of good quality, with little salinity.[2]

Geography

Al Adhbah is located near the northeast coast. It forms part of the northern interior plain region. As such, the area around Al Adhbah is characterized by relatively flat terrain, typical of Qatar's interior regions.[3]

In previous times, the main villages situated directly on the coast such as Al Ghariyah and Fuwayrit often experienced water shortages because saltwater intrusion restricted direct access to the groundwater. Furthermore, the water that could be obtained was highly saline.[4] As a result, Al Adhbah would establish a trade relationship with these villages in which it would receive maritime goods such as fish and pearls in exchange for its potable water.[5]

Notes and References

  1. Web site: 'Gazetteer of Arabia Vol. II' [1499] (572/688)]. Qatar Digital Library. 28 July 2015.
  2. Web site: GIS Portal. Ministry of Municipality and Environment. 10 August 2017. 22 October 2020. https://web.archive.org/web/20201022211224/https://geoportal.gisqatar.org.qa/qmap/index.html. dead.
  3. Web site: طبوغرافية شبه جزيرة قطر. Qatar Historical Encyclopedia. Arabic. 28 April 2024. 20 July 2024.
  4. Web site: An examination of the impact of environmental disparity on the occupation of Qatar. Phillip G Macumber. University of Copenhagen. 24. 2012. 5 July 2018.
  5. Phillip G. Macumber. Water Heritage in Qatar. Cultural Heritages of Water: Thematic Study on The Cultural Heritages of Water in the Middle East and Maghreb. UNESCO World Heritage Convention. UNESCO. 226. 2015. 5 July 2018.