Hamam Al-Alil’s Tel Al-Sabt: a historical and tourist landmark in Nineveh

NINEVEH — In the past, single women would climb “Tel Al-Sabt” hill in Hamam Al-Alil , Nineveh, waving a cloak or a piece of cloth in the air while chanting, “O’ Tel Al-Sabt, we come to you as girls, and next year, we’ll return as brides.” If the cloth filled with air and flew, it was seen as a sign of an impending marriage; if not, marriage was considered a more distant prospect.

The Nineveh Antiquities Inspectorate is currently conducting a study on Tel Al-Sabt, located in south of Mosul. The site overlooks the local corniche and the area’s famous mineral waters, known among locals for their therapeutic properties.

Located 25 kilometers from Mosul’s outskirts, Hamam Al-Alil has been a popular tourist destination for over a century, renowned for its mineral springs. In the 1970s, the site was developed into a government project, attracting visitors from across Iraq and beyond who seek the therapeutic benefits of its waters.

Historical accounts suggest Tel Al-Sabt served as a watchpoint during the Assyrian period to monitor enemy movements. Graves have spread across its slopes over the decades, and the hill is closely associated with the Jewish community of Mosul, who are believed to have named it “Tel Al-Sabt” due to their Sabbath rituals held there.

Faiq Sultan, Head of the Hamam Al-Alil Elders Council, told 964media, “Tel Al-Sabt is linked to the Jewish community that once lived in Nineveh. It’s named after their Sabbath rituals, observed every Saturday. The Antiquities Inspectorate has refused any excavation to preserve the site as a historical and tourist landmark.”

He added that the tradition of women chanting on the hill faded in the 1980s, but Hamam Al-Alil’s status as a tourist destination is gradually being restored.

Ammar Atta Allah, a local resident, described Tel Al-Sabt as an artificial mound. Positioned on the banks of the Tigris River, it was used as a lookout point during historical invasions. He noted that graves began appearing on the hill’s slopes in the mid-20th century and have since expanded deep into the hill.

“Today, Tel Al-Sabt stands as one of Hamam Al-Alil’s key landmarks, located near the Tigris River, the mineral waters, and the corniche,” he said.

Ahmed Qassim Juma, a Mosul historian and archaeologist, emphasized Tel Al-Sabt’s archaeological significance, “Hamam Al-Alil contains around 40 documented archaeological mounds dating back to different eras, the oldest from the Stone Age, about 6,000 years ago. Tel Al-Sabt, however, is the most prominent in the area. Some mistakenly attribute it to the Assyrian era, but it is far older.”

Juma noted that in the past, young men would visit the hill for leisure and singing, while women would chant their marriage invocation during the day. He also suggested that significant archaeological finds might still be hidden within the mound.