Human civilization opened up on the island of Tarut, located on the coast of the Arabian Gulf due to its importance, and previous kingdoms took care of it from time immemorial, leaving behind traces of the life of the earth, extending for more than 5 thousand years BC.
The island is one of the oldest areas of human settlement, according to archaeological inscriptions and historical monuments dating back to the civilizations of the Sumerians, Phoenicians, Dilmunians, Assyrians, Babylonians and other ages that preceded the emergence of Islam.
The name of the island “Tarot” has historical connotations, as it was mentioned in the maps of the ancient Greeks and Greece as follows: “Taro”, and its roots go back to the first civilizations that arose in Iraq, such as the Sumerian, Assyrian, Akkadian, Canaanite and Phoenician civilizations, and this name is Tarot or “Taro” or “Ishtar”. All of them are sacred names for peoples, and some are likely to launch this name on the island before 3 thousand years BC.
Tarut Island includes 4 villages separated from each other, (Sanabis, Al-Zour, Al-Rabiah, Dareen), and it is considered one of the first sea ports of Al-Qatif.
Tarut Castle is located on a hill, which is one of the oldest human settlement sites since the Stone Age. It is considered one of the most important castles in the Arabian Gulf, and is in the middle of Tarut Island. Historians confirm that it was built on a hill that was succeeded by 5 civilizations.
And Tarut Castle, which includes 4 towers, and it has a rectangular courtyard in the middle of which is a deep well, which is believed to be for storing supplies, and to its north is Ain Tarut, known as the bath and the fountain of the eye, and it is called Ain Al-Awda, as it was the only water resource.
Some archaeologists attributed Tarut to “Ishtar, Inanna, Our Eyes” from Mesopotamia, which is a title of fertility, love and beauty, and it originally lived in Aratta and Sumer under the name “Inanna”, then it was adopted by the Acadians, Babylonians and Assyrians under the name “Ishtar”, and it was known In the name of the "Queen of Heaven", and the deities were the patrons of the "Enna" temple in the city of "Uruk", which was its main center, and was associated with the planet Venus, and one of its most prominent symbols was the lion and the eight star.
This year, the Crown Prince announced the adoption of the developmental orientation of Darin Island and Tarut and the future initiatives of the island, and the establishment of the Darin and Tarut Island Development Corporation. Allocating an estimated budget of 2.644 billion riyals to improve the quality of life and develop the local product, by taking advantage of the comparative advantages of the island, preserving the cultural and historical heritage of the island, reviving natural and environmental sites, improving the quality of life and strengthening its tourism economy.
The state is working to develop Darien Castle and Airport, as two heritage tourist destinations, and to hold several cultural and heritage festivals, in addition to establishing multiple pedestrian paths that permeate the heritage areas of the island, in addition to establishing the largest mangrove forest on the shores of the Arabian Gulf, and a number of hotels and eco-lodges in natural areas. And allocating up to 48% of the island’s area for squares, public parks, waterfronts, roads, utilities, stadiums and modern sports facilities, which contributes to increasing the gross domestic product by an average of 297 million riyals annually, and increasing the number of tourists to 1.36 million tourists by 2030, and providing thousands Career opportunities.
Mohammed Al-Shahrani (Dammam) @mffaa1
