The Tree of Life

The Tree of Life Legend has it that this is the last remaining vestige of the mythical Garden of Eden! © Luis David Alvarez

Some might say: "It's just a tree!"... That not's true though, it isn't just a tree. It might look like nothing more than a very old acacia tree lost in the middle of the desert in southeast Bahrain, about a mile from Jabal ad Dukhan (the Mountain of Smoke), whose impressive altitude of 137m makes it the highest point of the kingdom. However, once you have visited the Bahrain National Museum, marvelled at the 5,000 year old tombs of the Dilmun civilisation, wandered around Bahrain Fort and its verdant surroundings, and learned that Bahrain is thought by many to be the location of the mythical Garden of Eden, you might see it as more than just a tree. After checking out the Formula 1 circuit and the Middle East's first oil well, the Tree of Life, lost all on its own in the middle of the desert, is quite something to behold! Why is it there and how did it get there? According to legend, it is the last remaining vestige of the mythical Garden of Eden! How it obtains enough water to survive remains a mystery. Crowds flock here to admire the tree, enjoy a picnic under its welcome shade, and make a wish while touching its leaves. Unfortunately, others have seen fit to write graffiti on its trunk or even tear off branches to take away for good luck; basically, the Tree of Life is a victim of its own success.