Al Utouriya Explained

Al Utouriya
Native Name:العطورية
Native Name Lang: ar
Settlement Type:Village
Pushpin Map:Qatar
Coordinates:25.515°N 51.2031°W
Subdivision Type:Country
Subdivision Name:Qatar
Subdivision Type1:Municipality
Subdivision Name1:Al-Shahaniya
Subdivision Type2:Zone
Subdivision Name2:Zone 72
Subdivision Type3:District no.
Subdivision Name3:158
Area Footnotes:[1]
Area Total Km2:25.7
Population Est:500
Pop Est As Of:2016

Al Utouriya (Arabic: العطورية|Al Athārīyah) is a village in Qatar, located in the municipality of Al-Shahaniya.[2] The village lies about north of Al-Shahaniya City and the same distance south of Al Jemailiya. It is connected to both places by road.[3]

It used to be part of the Al Jemailiya municipality before the municipality was incorporated into Al Rayyan.[4] In 2014, the village was incorporated into the newly created Al-Shahaniya Municipality.[5]

Etymology

Al Utouriya's name is derived from the Arabic word atar, which translates to 'perfume' or 'aroma'. It was given this name due to the scent emanating from a nearby rawdat (depression) which hosts a number of aromatic herbs.[6]

Various alternative transliterations of the name exist, such as Al `Aţūrīyah, Al Atoriya, Al Athārīyah,[7] Latariyah,[8] and Leatooriya.[6]

History

Settlers first came to the region in the 1960s, despite being cut off from many essential services. In the 1980s, the village was connected to Qatar's power grid system. Mixed-use farms comprise the livelihood of some residents, while others commute to the capital Doha and elsewhere for work. As a result of poor living conditions, many of the original residents have migrated to Doha. In 2016, it was estimated that around 500 inhabitants occupied the village, with an overall 47 homes being recorded, all of which are resided in by more than one family.[3]

Geography

Al Utouriya is in north-central Qatar. It forms part of the northern zone of the central belt region. As part of this section, the area has varied topography, including hills, plateaus, and rawdas (depressions), which distinguishes it from the flatter areas to the north and east. To the west of the Al Utouriya-Al-Shahaniya Road, there is a notable change in the landscape, opening up into a wide, spacious plain with distinct features.[9]

Infrastructure

The village is primarily rural community centered on agriculture. No health care or educational facilities were recorded in the 2010 census.[10] The village also lacks parks, schools, supermarkets and gas stations. For public services and food items, most residents travel to Al Jemailiya.[3]

Agriculture

An experimental farm was established here by the government in the early 1980s in an initiative to boost food self-sufficiency. The farm's greenhouses successfully extended the growing season of cucumbers, resulting in a yield of 140 kg in 1982, and a pursuance to build similar greenhouses elsewhere in the country.[11] There is a large government-owned plant nursery in the village which covers 2,500 sq meters. Plants from the nursery are used in research and also distributed to government ministries. It was established in 2003.[12] Numerous privately-owned farms have also been established in the area, most of which are mixed-use and grow fodder crops in addition to raising livestock.[3]

Notes and References

  1. Web site: District Area Map. Ministry of Development Planning and Statistics. 15 February 2019.
  2. Web site: 2015 Population census. Ministry of Development Planning and Statistics. April 2015. 8 August 2017. 17 July 2016. https://web.archive.org/web/20160717042254/http://www.mdps.gov.qa/en/knowledge/Publications/Population/Population2015.pdf. dead.
  3. Web site: العطورية.. بلدة وادعة وجميلة هجرها أهلها بسبب قلة الخدمات. Arabic. Mohammed Sayed Ahmed. Al Arab. 21 January 2016. 7 December 2019.
  4. Web site: 2004 population census. Qatar Statistics Authority. 1 July 2015. https://web.archive.org/web/20150924083650/http://www.qsa.gov.qa/Eng/publication/qatar-census-2004/pubulation-ar/Tabels/Pubulation/T02.htm. 24 September 2015. dead. dmy-all.
  5. Web site: بلدية الشحانية تضم %35 من مساحة الريان الحالية. Hisham Yassin. Al Arab. Arabic. 16 January 2014. 7 August 2017.
  6. Web site: Geoportal. The Centre for Geographic Information Systems of Qatar. 25 May 2018. 20 November 2022. https://web.archive.org/web/20221120195155/http://geoportal.gisqatar.org.qa/qmape/index.html. dead.
  7. Web site: Al Athārīyah: Qatar. geographic.org. 28 February 2019.
  8. Web site: Latariyah: Qatar. geographic.org. 28 February 2019.
  9. Web site: طبوغرافية شبه جزيرة قطر. Qatar Historical Encyclopedia. Arabic. 28 April 2024. 20 July 2024.
  10. Web site: Geo Statistics Application. Ministry of Development Planning and Statistics. 7 August 2015. https://web.archive.org/web/20120911175559/http://gsa.qsa.gov.qa/GSA/GSA.html. 2012-09-11. dead.
  11. Book: Arabia: The Islamic World Review, Issues 7-16. Islamic Press Agency. 34. 1982.
  12. Web site: تدشين أسبوع الشجرة بروضة بخيلة اليوم. Al Raya. Arabic. 2 March 2008. 8 August 2017.