Samaheej ( ar, سماهيج ''Samāhīj'') is a village in
Bahrain
Bahrain ( ; ; ar, البحرين, al-Bahrayn, locally ), officially the Kingdom of Bahrain, ' is an island country in Western Asia. It is situated on the Persian Gulf, and comprises a small archipelago made up of 50 natural islands and an ...
on the northern coast of
Muharraq Island
Muharraq Island (), formerly known as Moharek, is the second largest island in the archipelago of Bahrain after Bahrain Island. It lies east of the capital, Manama, on Bahrain Island.
History
It is named after Muharraq City, the former capital ...
.
Al Dair Al Dair ( ar, الدَيْر) is a village in Bahrain on the northern coast of Muharraq Island. It lies north of the Bahrain International Airport, and north west of Samaheej village.
Before the discovery of oil in Bahrain, most of the inhabitants ...
village lies to its northwest, while
Galali lies to its southeast. It is north of
Bahrain International Airport
Bahrain International Airport ( ar, مطار البحرين الدولي, ''maṭār al-Baḥrayn al-dwalī'') is the international airport of Bahrain. Located on Muharraq Island, adjacent to the capital Manama, it serves as the hub for the nati ...
.
Samaheej ( ''Mashmahig'') had a
Nestorian Christian presence during its early history, with old foundations of a Nestorian monastery being discovered in the village.
Before the
discovery of oil in Bahrain
As its name suggests, it is the first oil well in the Arabian side of the Persian Gulf and is located in Bahrain. The well is situated below Jebel Dukhan. It was discovered and operated by Bahrain Petroleum Company (BAPCO), established in 1929 ...
, most of the inhabitants were involved in
farming
Agriculture or farming is the practice of cultivating plants and livestock. Agriculture was the key development in the rise of sedentary human civilization, whereby farming of domesticated species created food surpluses that enabled peopl ...
, especially
date palms, and
fishing
Fishing is the activity of trying to catch fish. Fish are often caught as wildlife from the natural environment, but may also be caught from stocked bodies of water such as ponds, canals, park wetlands and reservoirs. Fishing techniques inclu ...
.
The name Samahij is from Persian ''se'' (three) and ''mahi'' (fish) and hence, ‘the three fish’. This name has to do with the geographical form of the area on which this village is situated.
Among the famous people from Samaheej is
Abdullah bin Saleh al Samahiji (1675 - 1722), a medieval
Islamic scholar
In Islam, the ''ulama'' (; ar, علماء ', singular ', "scholar", literally "the learned ones", also spelled ''ulema''; feminine: ''alimah'' ingularand ''aalimath'' lural are the guardians, transmitters, and interpreters of religious ...
, prominent within the
Akhbari school of
Shiism
Shīʿa Islam or Shīʿīsm is the second-largest branch of Islam. It holds that the Islamic prophet Muhammad designated ʿAlī ibn Abī Ṭālib as his successor (''khalīfa'') and the Imam (spiritual and political leader) after him, most ...
during the
Safavid era.
Education
The
Ministry of Education
An education ministry is a national or subnational government agency politically responsible for education. Various other names are commonly used to identify such agencies, such as Ministry of Education, Department of Education, and Ministry of Pub ...
operates government schools. Samajih Primary Intermediate Boys School is the sole government school within Samaheej.
Directory
." Ministry of Education. Retrieved on 8 September 2009.
References
External links
Samaheej Online Website
Samaheej Tv
Samaheej Forums
Samaheej Photo albums
Samaheej MMS
Samaheej Club
Populated places in Bahrain
{{Bahrain-geo-stub