Al Zubarah, Doha

Al Zubarah, Doha

Al Zubarah is an archeological site that lies 107 kilometres away from Doha.

Al Zubarah is an archeological site that lies 107 kilometres away from Doha. Conveniently located midway between the Strait of Hormuz and the west arm of the Persian Gulf, Al Zubarah was once a flourishing pearl fishing and trade hub. It is a UNESCO World Heritage Site for being 'the only remaining complete urban plan of an Arabian pearl-merchant town' and 'an exceptional testimony to the merchant and pearl trading tradition of the Persian Gulf' which led to the growth of small independent states that eventually emerged as the modern day Gulf States.

Founded by the Al Bin Ali tribe in the first half of the 18th century, it has well-preserved ruins that are the epitome of an 18th- 19th century Gulf merchant town. Mostly destroyed in 1811 and then abandoned, its layout has been preserved under layers of protective desert sand blown over. See the layout with palaces, mosques, streets, courtyard houses, screening walls, canals, cemeteries, and fishermen’s huts. The ruins of the fort of Qal’at Murair lie 1.6 kilometres to the east, and feature the shallow wells that provided fresh groundwater to inhabitants. The newer Zubarah Fort was built in 1938 as a military base.