Global InformationQatif information
Qatif
ٱلْقَطِيف | |
|---|---|
  Qatif | |
| Coordinates: 26°33′22″N 49°59′46″E / 26.556°N 49.996°E | |
| Country | Saudi Arabia |
| Province | Eastern Province (Ash Sharqiyah) |
| Government | |
| • Governor | Saud bin Nayef |
| Area | |
| • Total | 611 km2 (236 sq mi) |
| Population (2017)[1] | |
| • Total | 625,092 |
| Time zone | +3 GMT |
| Area code | +966 13 |
Qatif or Al-Qatif (Arabic: ٱلْقَطِيف Al-Qaṭīf) is a governorate and urban area located in Eastern Province, Saudi Arabia. It extends from Ras Tanura and Jubail in the north to Dammam in the south, and from the Persian Gulf in the east to King Fahd International Airport in the west. This region has its own municipality and includes the Qatif downtown, Safwa, Saihat, Tarout Island, and many other smaller cities and towns.
Qatif is one of the oldest settlements in Eastern Arabia; its history goes back to 3500 BC, more than 5000 years ago, and was part of the Bahrain Region which was called Dilmun at that time and the Sumerians knew it as the land of paradise, immortality, and life.[2][3][4] Before the discovery of oil, Qatifi people used to work as merchants, farmers, and fishermen. However, with the development of the oil fields in the late 1940s, Qatif lost its status as an important port to Dammam, and since the 1990s has focused on the oil industry, public services, education, and healthcare sectors.[5]
Several travelers visited the city, most famously Abulfeda: "Al-Qatif: a town next to Al-Ahsa, of a beautiful nature, whose people are well-groomed, and it is on the Arab side of the Persian Sea coast,"[6] as well as Ibn Battuta: "Then we traveled to the city of Al-Qatif, its name is derived from fruit picking, which is an oasis of water and a large city with many palm trees inhabited by sects of Shiite Arabs."[7][6]
Its survival in the midst of desert surroundings is due not only to its being a coastal city but to the fact that Qatif is a green oasis with rich agricultural soil. Qatif itself is surrounded by a jungle of palm trees. Springs are abundant in the oasis of Qatif. On the East, there lies the Persian Gulf. Its warm and calm waters are rich in marine life; fishes, shrimps, and pearls. Also, some springs are found in the midst of its waters. On the west lies, Al-Dahna Desert with its golden sands intermingled with little rocky heights. There are many landmarks in Qatif such as the old city of the Qala'a and Awamiya, Tarout Castle, Darin castle which was built to repel the attacks of the Portuguese campaign on Bahrain in the 15th century, and traditional markets such as the Khamis market; In addition to statues, which were transferred to the National Museum in Riyadh to be preserved.[5]
- ^ "Population Estimates 2017" (PDF).
- ^ Crawford, Harriet E. W. (1998). Dilmun and Its Gulf Neighbours. Cambridge, UK: Cambridge University Press. p. 9. ISBN 978-0-52158-679-5.
- ^ Rice, Michael (1991). Egypt's Making: The Origins of Ancient Egypt 5000–2000 BC. London, UK: Routledge. p. 229. ISBN 978-0-41506-454-5.
- ^ Page, Lewis (9 December 2010). "Lost ancient civilisation's ruins lie beneath Gulf, says boffin". The Register. Archived from the original on 7 November 2017.
- ^ a b "Qatif City Profile". The Saudi Network. 2019.
- ^ a b Al-Ramis, Salman (2004). Qatif, a study in ancient history. Al-hazen library.
- ^ Battuta, Ibn (8 August 2017). Ibn Battuta's Journey (in Arabic). Al-Maktaba Al-Asriyya for printing and publishing. Archived from the original on 8 August 2017.