A convoy from Babil province traveled nearly 250 miles in early April to visit Adam’s Holy Tree, also known as the “Tree of Knowledge.” For the thousands of Muslims who come each year, praying at the tree brings blessings, forgiveness and realization of their dreams. It also draws Christian tourists who believe it is the tree Eve ate from in the Garden of Eden.
Local cleric Abdul Hussein al-Hashimi told Al-Monitor that visiting the tree in Qurna, a town in southern Iraq just northwest of Basra, is a religious duty, part of the country’s historical and religious heritage that had been preserved through the generations.