There are various legends and myths about ‘Adam’s Tree’, sourced from the Abrahamic religions. This tree has witnessed events that took place over a thousand years, and it is located in Iraq.
The Adam’s Tree, located in the Al-Qarna area at the confluence of the Tigris and Euphrates rivers in the southern province of Basra, is one of Iraq’s ancient historical monuments.
Its origin and age are still unknown to scholars. Thus, in an interview with Al Jazeera, Dr. Maitam al-Nuri, Doctor of History, talking about this Mesopotamian wonder, noted: ‘There are different versions about the origin of this tree. Naturally, scholars believe that the Adam’s Tree is just an old tree’.
Al-Nuri stressed: ‘Regardless of the different narratives, this tree is one of the most important ancient and cultural monuments of the Al-Qarna region. Some historical sources attribute this tree to the time of Abraham, the Prophet of God. It grew out of the ground two thousand years after Abraham (peace be upon him) had said: ‘Soon a tree similar to the Tree in Eden will grow on this place’.
Al-Nuri added: ‘As far as the age of this tree is concerned, some experts believe it is between 400 and 600 years old, but others think it is over thousand years’.
Most sources say that the Adam’s Tree is a type of cedar, while others call it the eucalyptus tree.
Old stories about the Adam’s Tree
The Adam’s Tree is mentioned in old religious books. It is believed that it was from this tree that our forefathers Adam and Eve tasted the forbidden fruit.
The name of the Adam’s tree is mentioned in many narratives and historical documents. For instance, Alexander Adamov, Consul General of Tsarist Russia in Basra, in his book ‘Basra Province: Past and Present’, which was published in 1912, wrote about this tree as a tree from the Garden of Eden. In his book Adamov also regarded the Adam’s Tree as a variety of the Arabic tree Talh, which is mentioned in the Holy Quran.
In addition to it, Qazi Ahmad Nur Al-Ansari, in his book titled ‘An-Nusra Fi Akhbar Al-Basra’ written in 1860 during the Ottoman Empire, mentioned the existence of an old and famous tree in the region of Qarna and noted that the tree belonged to the Mesquite tree species.
This tree is also mentioned in a book by British traveler Carsten Niebuhr in 1765 and in documents of the Italian Consulate in 1781, as well as in Iranian fairy tales.
Under this tree there is a marble stone with an inscription in Arabic and English: ‘The Adam’s Tree’. This blessed place where the Tigris and the Euphrates meet was honored to be visited by Prophet Ibrahim, peace be upon him, in 2000 B.C. He said: ‘Soon a tree similar to the Tree in Eden will grow on this place’.
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