Bahrain's Magical 'Tree Of Life'

No trip to the Kingdom of Bahrain is complete without a visit to the 'Tree Of Life', a 400-year old, 32ft. Mesquite. However, it is not the tree's age but it's location, atop a 25-meter sandy hill, smack in the middle of the desert, that draws people.

How this one lone tree has not only survived, but also, thrived in these harsh conditions, is a mystery that has had both locals and experts, scratching their heads for many years now. The area around the tree is so dry and sandy that tourists wishing to get a glimpse of this enigma, are instructed to double check their gears to ensure they don't get stuck in the sand.

Some locals think that the 'Tree of Life' is the exact location of the 'Garden Of Eden' - where the first man Adam and his wife Eve lived, after God created them. Others, like the Bedouin tribe that roams the desert, believes that it has been blessed by the mythical goddess of water, Enki.

However, scientists have a more rational explanation - They maintain that the tree has been able to survive in the desert environment, by sending its roots deep and wide into an underground source of water.

But, nobody has ever been able to find this mysterious source as yet, and until they do, the 'Tree of Life' or Harajat-al-Hayat as the locals call it, will continue to be one of the natural wonders or our planet.

The Kingdom Of Bahrain is an archipelago of 33 small islands that lie on the western shores of the Persian Gulf. Despite being surrounded by water, the country receives very little moisture and is largely, a desert. However, thanks to wealth garnered from natural resources like oil and pearls, it has emerged as one of the world's fastest growing economies and, established itself as the financial capital of the Middle East.

Resources: wikipedia.org,odditycentral.com