2023 chapter

Cultural and Ecological Significance of the Date Palm

In Date Palm Byproducts: A Springboard for Circular Bio Economy (pp. 3–16).

By: H. EL-Mously*, M. Midani* & E. Darwish*

Source: ORCID
Added: January 28, 2024

The date palm has been assimilated as a cultural/spiritual theme in both the Jewish and Christian traditions that have been evolved in the Middle Eastern region. In addition, the date palm has been mentioned—more than any other tree—for 23 times in Quran. The date palm’s huge benefits and wide spectrum of uses of its components have been highlighted in Prophet Mohammed’s teachings by comparing the date palm with the Muslim. Besides, the date palm components have been intensively used in Medinah (the first Moslem city): as building materials (date palm trunks and midribs in roofing and walling), as well as in household (stuffing of leather pillows with leaf sheaths fibers and weaving carpets from date palm leaflets) and reliance on dates as an essential component of diet. From the ecological point of view, the date palm represents a keystone species and the tree of life creating in arid and semi-arid regions a microclimate that offsets the effects of drought, preserves high soil moisture with low salinity and thus creates a biodiversity hotspot that can shelter a wide range of plant and animal species in hot desert conditions.