002 - Al Zubara Fort (Qatar)

Al Zubara is an old town on the northwest coast of Qatar. Its significance in the history of Qatar and this region can be gauged by the fact that this place is on the UNESCO's world heritage list. However, the subject of this is not the city itself but a fort nearby, having the same name.

Al Zubara Fort is located at 25°58'37.02"N;  51° 2'43.42"E, about 95 kilometers from Doha. Among all the historical places in Qatar, this fort is among the most popular and also my favourite. It is among the biggest forts in Qatar and is very well preserved. It also showcases historical and archaeological details of this whole region. It is worth mentioning that Qatar has always been an important part of the old civilizations of the Gulf region, being at the centre of old trade routes from Iraq, Persia, and Arabia to India and further east. 

The fort itself is easily accessible by road and it takes just an hour to reach there. Travel on Shamal Road and then take a turn to left (westwards). The last 35 kilometers of the journey from Shamal road to Al Zubara is more enjoyable. This area is less populated and hence has more natural beauty and you can see the original landscape of Qatar, undisturbed by modern developments. There are many huge farmhouses on both sides of the road and the whole area generally has more vegetation. Especially after a good rain one can see green patches of land, with herds of sheep and goats grazing.

Al Zubara fort was built in 1938 during the reign of Sheikh Abdullah Bin Jassim Al Thani to protect the northwestern coastal areas of Qatar. It is a strongly built fort. It is a perfect square with sides about 27 meters in length. It has four defensive towers built at the corners of the forts. Three are in a circular shape and one is rectangular in shape. The walls reach a height of 5.5 meters. The walls and the towers have slits to use weapons. The whole structure is made of limestones and mud was used as mortar.

It may not be very old, but its significance lies in the fact that the fort was built just before the oil boom in Qatar. Hence it was completely built with the materials available locally and local traditional techniques were used in its construction. Thus it is an excellent example of Qatar's traditional military architecture.

A view of Al Zubarah Fort. (20.01.2017.)

The main entrance of the fort. (20.01.2017.)

The writer in front of the fort. (05.01.2019.)

My children: Muniza, Ibrahim & Madiha (L to R).  (20.01.2017.)

The western wall of the fort. (05.01.2019.)

The three circular towers of the fort. (05.01.2019.)

The northern wall. (05.01.2019.)

The only rectangular tower. (05.01.2019.)

A closer view of a tower. (05.01.2019.)

Al Zubarah

Archaeological Site was inscribed into the UNESCO World Heritage List during the session of the 37th World Heritage Committee in Phnom Penh, Cambodia, on 22nd June, 2013. The inscription confirms Al Zubarah's Outstanding Universal Value as an urban trading a pearl-diving town, a tradition that sustained major coastal settlements of the region from the early Islamic time to the early modern period. 

The fort has only one entrance along the southern wall, besides the rectangular tower. Along the eastern and northern walls lies a verandah and the other two walls have eight rooms along them. In addition to that, there are many rooms inside the towers. The whole structure is well preserved. There are two staircases that lead to the first floor and the parapets. It was restored and repaired during 1986 - 1988 by a team of specialists from the Department of Museums and Antiquities. And one can see the excellent job they have done to restore and preserve this historic fort.  

The main wooden door of the fort. (05.01.2019.)

AL ZUBARAH ARCHAEOLOGICAL SITE VISITOR CENTRE

Welcome to Al Zubarah Archaeological Site Visitor Centre where you can learn the fascinating story of Qatar's first UNESCO World Heritage Site. 

You are standing in the doorway of Al Zubarah Fort, built during the reign of Sheikh Abdullah Bin Jassim Al Thani. The Fort overlooks the ruins of the once-important settlement of Al Zubarah. 

Around 200 years ago Al Zubarah was a bustling trading and pearl-fishing town, but it now lies in ruins, a testament to the turbulent times that saw the formation of the modern Gulf.  

Come and explore the rooms of this historic building and learn more about Al Zubarah, its environment and the ongoing research at the site. 

Plan of Al Zubarah Fort. (05.01.2019.)

Verandah on the right side. (05.01.2019.)

The rectangular tower from inside. (05.01.2019.)

The verandah. (05.01.2019.)

A well in the fort. (05.01.2019.)

View of the entrance from inside. (05.01.2019.)

Rows of the rooms on the left side. (05.01.2019.)

A verandah along the northern wall. In front of the main entrance. (05.01.2019.)

A painting depicting the seafront view of Al Zubarah. 

An aerial view of an old settlement near Al Zubarah. 

Mohammad Farooq, pretending to be a photographer. (05.01.2019.)

A room having multimedia to provide information about this place. (05.01.2019.)

Wooden windows in a room. (05.01.2019.)

Openings for defensive purpose are visible in the parapets. (05.01.2019.)

A panoramic view of the fort from inside. (05.01.2019.)

A well in the fort. (05.01.2019.)

THE WELL AT AL ZUBARAH FORT

The well once provided fresh drinking water all year round, but today, like other wells in the area it is completely dry. 

Dug by hand through the hard dammam limestone the well reached down to a thin band of fresh water. If it were dug too deep the water would become salty. 

Rubble in the bottom means we do not know exactly how deep this well is, but it goes down at least ten metres.  

In the past, a bucket would have been lowered on a long rope to collect water. In the last past 50 years, the amount of fresh water in the area has dropped significantly. 

Some wells nearby do still have water in them, but the water is salty and not safe to drink.  

Down by the coast where Al Zubarah lies the ground water has always been too salty, which is why there was a sister settlement that had many large wells. This fortified village, Qal'at Murair was not far from this modern fort. 

You can learn more about the geology and hydrology of the region in the environment room on the other side of the courtyard.  

A view of the main entrance from inside. (05.01.2019.)

Just outside the fort two big tents have been erected. One of them having on display arts and crafts of Qatar. And the other offering traditional Qatari food. In the pictures below you can see artists busy in their craft. In the third picture, a lady is displaying traditional dolls. 

A craftsman busy in his work. (05.01.2019.)

A boat builder making models of traditional boats, dhows. (05.01.2019.)

Homemade dolls and other household decorative things. (05.01.2019.)

The fort also serves as the Visitor Centre for Al Zubarah archaeological site. The rooms inside the fort have information panels, displaying information about the past of the region in general and Al Zubara town in particular. Including flora and fauna, geographical features, trades routes, arts and craft, culture and history. But that will be a subject of another post. 

Panels like this one provide a lot of information about the archaeological site of Al Zubarah. (05.01.2019.)

Sheep grazing near Al Zubarah. (05.01.2019.)

So I strongly suggest to my friends and the readers to plan a visit to this very interesting place. It is a good place for a family excursion too. All the necessary facilities for the visitors are available at the fort. I am sure one will enjoy and learn a lot.

  

Tariq Amir

January 29, 2019.

Doha - Qatar.