Ain Al Raha Still Flows in Sitra’s Memory

TDT | Manama

Email: mail@newsofbahrain.com

The quiet remains of Ain Al Raha stand in the far northeastern area of Sitra Island, between Al Qarya and the industrial area in Block 603. Once close to the sea, the spring was later cut off from the shoreline after the industrial zone was developed. Today, little is left except its boundaries and a small room overlooking the place where water once flowed with life.

Older residents remember it vividly. They describe the water as cool in summer and warm in winter. It nourished palm trees and orchards for decades, reaching nearby villages including Wadyan and Mahaza. Children learned to swim there. Families gathered along its banks. Fish, turtles and frogs moved gently through its clear channels.

In an exclusive interview, Ahmed Abduljaleel, a resident of Sitra, said Ain Al Raha was more than a spring. “It was part of our daily life,” he recalled. “We grew up around it. Our fathers depended on it for farming. It brought people together.”

Over time, human intervention and excavation works altered the natural balance. The fresh water gradually turned salty, and the spring eventually dried up.

Although it no longer flows, Ain Al Raha remains alive in the hearts of many residents, especially the elderly who still speak of it with affection. For them, restoring the spring is not simply about water. It is about reviving a piece of Sitra’s soul, a reminder of simpler days when the island’s life moved gently around its natural springs.