Tarout Island, off the coast near Qatif in Saudi Arabia’s Eastern Province, is believed to be one of the oldest sites inhabited by humans on the Arabian Peninsula.
The island is linked to the mainland by a narrow natural bridge up to 4 km long. Antiquities dating back more than 4,000 years to the early Mesopotamian civilization have been found in historic Tarout town in the center of the island.
Other discoveries are related to the ancient Elam civilization, Indus Valley civilizations, and the Fire civilization that once dominated southern areas of the Gulf.
