Odeh Spring (Ain Al-Odeh عين العودة in Arabic, also called Fauces Spring, Tarout Spring or Castle Spring) is a historical natural underground deep sulphur spring in

Saudi Arabia Saudi Arabia, officially the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia (KSA), is a country in West Asia. Located in the centre of the Middle East, it covers the bulk of the Arabian Peninsula and has a land area of about , making it the List of Asian countries ...

, Eastern Province,

Qatif Qatif Governorate ( ''Al-Qaṭīf'') is a list of governorates of Saudi Arabia, governorate and urban area located in Eastern Province, Saudi Arabia, Eastern Province, Saudi Arabia. It extends from Ras Tanura and Jubail in the north to Damma ...

, specifically in Tarout Island. Odeh Spring history goes back more than four thousand years. It contained mineral water where people utilized it to cure diseases and illnesses. Odeh Spring used to produce hot water and vapor in winter, and lukewarm water in the summer. In spite of all the different attempts and efforts to revive it, the spring is currently depleted.

Labelling

“Odeh” is a dialect word in Qatif that means “old”, thus, it was called Odeh spring to indicate that it belongs to the very distant past.

Construction

One side of the spring is bordering north tower of Traout castle, while the other three sides are walled.

Local beliefs

Those who were living in Tarout in different past

civilizations A civilization (also spelled civilisation in British English) is any complex society characterized by the development of the state, social stratification, urbanization, and symbolic systems of communication beyond signed or spoken languag ...

believed that the water of the spring is sacred. Moreover, the spring was only dedicated for women at first to benefit from it, actually, old women narrated a story of a rock falling into the spring with a painting at the other side of the rock demonstrating a statue of a woman with prominent breast. Small fishes called Hawarseen (Arabic: حوارسين) used to live in Odeh Spring along with other large fishes and frogs. In fact, Odeh Spring was a destination for sailors and divers from the Gulf countries and east coast, especially sailors and divers from Kuwait and Bahrain.

Geology

Ain Al-Odeh contains burrows and a natural furnace very close to Tarout castle base as it is engraved inside the rocks surrounding the construction foundation of the castle. Fauces are also branching out from Odeh spring and it was mentioned by the Danish archaeologist Thomas Geoffrey Bibby on his book “

Dilmun Dilmun, or Telmun, ( Sumerian: ,Transliteration: Similar text: later 𒉌𒌇(𒆠), NI.TUKki = dilmunki; ) was an ancient East Semitic–speaking civilization in Eastern Arabia mentioned from the 3rd millennium BC onwards. Based on contextual ...

”. Tributaries were formed from Odeh spring and streams to the south providing the northeast of the nearby town Dareen with water, until the year 1937, and continues to run until it eventually pours into the sea after crossing over 1,500 meters. Odeh spring consists of four layers: First, the outer cavity layer that shapes the outer construction of the spring. Second, salient rocks in the inner walls of the spring. Third, the narrowest, confined aquifer where water runs from to farmlands. Fourth, the bottom of the spring which is a sedimentary layer where underground water flows from the ground.اليوم, صحيفة. "اليوم : « عين العودة » معلم سياحي يواجه الاندثار فى تاروت". www.alyaum.com. مؤرشف من الأصل في 24 سبتمبر 2016. اطلع عليه بتاريخ 19 يناير 2017

References

{{Authority control Eastern Province, Saudi Arabia Oases of Saudi Arabia World Heritage Sites in Saudi Arabia