Qatar Tourism Authority

Ancient Villages

Old Zubara town
Rich with history of Qatar and its people, Al-Zubarah is one of the most interesting archaeological sites in the state. Just two km west of the Al-Zubarah fort, the Al-Zubarah settlement shows evidence of a long-standing community where rich oyster banks and good trading connections in and beyond the Gulf ensured prosperity.

Surrounded by a long wall belt and guard towers, the original town was 2,000 meters long and 600 meters wide. A separate quarter and a wider, more external wall were added later, and eventually houses were built outside of the walls.

The old town already existed in the early 17th century. In fact, an account written by Hamad bin Nayem bin Sultan Al-Muraikhi Al-Zubari Al-Qatari in April 1638, describes Al-Zubarah as a small harbor of 150 houses and 700 inhabitants, owning several boats and livestock, with multicultural inhabitants including Naim, Hawajer, Bedouins and Al-Ma’adha.

By 1765, the Al-Khalifa and Al-Jalahima groups, both of the Al-Utubi tribe, moved from their homeland of Kuwait to Bahrain in search of pearls and trading opportunities. At that time, the Persians already occupied Bahrain so the Al-Utubi moved to Al-Zubarah. The local Sheikh agreed to let the tribe settle inside the town in exchange for paying ordinary taxes for trading.

They refused and built their own fort, Al-Murair, about two km south of the Al-Zubarah fort. Later, the Al-Utubi provided the fort with additional walls. Many believe the walls connected Al-Murair with Al-Zubarah, but there is no clear evidence. The Al-Utubi also built a seawater canal used as a harbor connecting Al-Murair and Al-Zubarah with the sea.

In a few short decades, Al-Zubarah and Al-Murair became flourishing centers of trade and pearling, and were recognized points of reference for the entire Arabian Gulf. But this power and prominence made the towns targets of invasions from the ruling family of Bahrain.

In response, the Al-Khalifa invaded Bahrain in 1783, claiming sovereignty over the island. Little by little, the Al-Khalifa migrated to Bahrain where they established a sheikhdom that endures still today. Unfortunately, this migration caused the gradual decline of Al-Zubarah and Al-Murair. When the region was fully abandoned in 1937, it became an archaeological site.

The traditional Qatari technique of joining coral rock and limestone with mud mortar and topping with a gypsum-based plaster was used to construct the buildings. The plaster, often decorated with geometric patterns, protected the walls from natural elements such as wind and rain.

Today the area consists of long walls and two excavated sites. The first site was excavated between 1982 and 1984. Excavation on the second site began in 2002 and is still going on today. Most of the artifacts uncovered during the first season are on display in the Al-Zubarah fort.

In the meantime, the Qatar Museums Authority plans to do more excavations and conservation work at the remarkable 54-hectare Al-Zubarah town.

Planning a visit
This site is always open and there is no admission fee. We recommend driving a four-wheel-drive and bringing a GPS device. Consider packing a bag and taking a swim in the sea near the ancient townPlease remember not to litter the area and to take any garbage back with you.

You can also visit Al-Zubarah fort, which is now a local museum offering an overview of the long history of the Al-Zubarah town. The exhibit includes coins from West Africa, pieces of pottery, Chinese porcelain, Thai celadon, jewelry made with semi-precious stones and pictures of the archaeological excavations. Public restrooms are available at Al-Zubarah fort.

UTM coordinates N 25° 58' 27.4" E 51° 01' 39"

Directions
We recommend using a four-wheel-drive vehicle to explore the site. Al-Zubarah is located at the northwest coast of Qatar, 107 km from Doha. Take the North Road to Al-Khor for approximately 50 km and make a U-turn at the Zubarah sign. Take the first secondary road on your right. About 200 meters past the Al-Zubarah fort, enter the archaeological area through the first gate on your right and follow the path towards the West until you find the excavated areas.
From Heritage of Qatar

Fishermen’s villages

Several settlements in the northwest of Qatar give a glimpse of how difficult life outside of the main cities was before the discovery of oil. These small villages had economies based largely on fishery , and lacked facilities or road access. Three of the sites, Al-Areesh, Al-Khuwair and Al-Jemail, are completely abandoned today, yet still vividly tell the story of those who once called them home.

All three settlements were built at the beginning of the 19th century and their names have intriguing origins. Al-Areesh comes from the Arabic “areesh,” meaning shelter made by date palm fronds, while Al-Kuwair comes from “kuwair,” meaning small seawater canal.

These villages were first abandoned in 1937, but daily life resumed in 1945 and continued well into the 1970s when the residents once again picked up and left.

Traditional Qatari mosques rest at the heart of the villages and are surrounded by a few old fishermen’s houses. This layout reflects how the social structure of Qatari communities was - and still is - centered around faith and religion.

The mosques have a typical plan, fenced in by high walls and open to an internal courtyard. There is a “mothawaddah,” a separate room in the courtyard for the “wudu,” or ablutions. In one corner is a minaret, which is a circular shaft with a simple rounded top and a small arched door that opens to a narrow spiral staircase. On the top of the minaret, a small room opens to the surroundings with four little windows that were used by the “muezzin” to call people to pray.

The prayer area of the mosques is split into two spaces: an “iwan,” or outer prayer room consisting of a portico overlooking the courtyard, and an indoor prayer area where the “mehrab” is directed towards the “Kaaba” at Mecca. Walls inside these mosques are often decorated with Quranic quotations, drawings made by fishermen and various other symbols.

Visiting these villages gives an idea of the traditional Qatari building technique. The thick walls, which helped to isolate the heat and keep buildings cool, were built by overlapping raw pieces of coral rock and limestone, joining them with mud mortar and covering them with gypsum-based plaster.

The roof is made of four layers. The first consists of a series of “danchal” wood poles, often protected by bitumen. The second is a layer of “basgijl,” which are woven bamboo strips. A close net of mangrove branches makes up the third layer, and the roof is then finished with a layer of compressed mud, which provided protection from the sun during the hot seasons.

One of the most interesting features of this technique is the building of architraves using poles of “danchal” wood held together with a rope. This increases the adherence of the mud mortar and plaster.

Planning a visit

The northwest villages should be visited between September and April so you can spend time discovering the features of the deserted dwellings. While it is possible to visit these villages driving a standard car, using a four-wheel drive vehicle would be more comfortable.

UTM coordinates:

Al-Areesh N 26° 03' 03.42" E 51° 03' 24.57"

Al-Jemail N 26° 05' 46.89" E 51° 09' 21.94"

Al-Khuwair N 26° 04' 07.38" E 51° 05' 02.30"

Directions

The villages are located in the northwest of Qatar, 130 km from Doha. Take the North Road to Al-Khor for approximately 50 km and make a U-turn at the Zubarah sign. Take the first secondary road on your right. Keep going straight until you see the Al-Zubarah fort on the right. Just before the fort, turn right and go 10 km. The junctions to the villages of Al-Areesh and Al-Khuwair have a sign, and the town of Al-Jemail is visible from the road. You can also reach the sites through the north via Madinat Al-Shamal.

From Heritage of Qatar

Al Majfar

The ruins of the ancient village of Al Mafjar are nearby on the mainland. The natural reserve of the Umm Tais island is just a few meters off-shore.

The Qatar Museums Authority plans to reconstruct the existing houses and mosque, as well as develop parts of the area into a visitor centre, ranger station and research area. For further information and directions, please contact one of the local tour companies .

From Qatar Museum Authority

Murwab

Built during the Abbassid period on the foundations of an older fort, Murwab Fort is located on the west coast of Qatar and bears the marks of Abbassid architectural style. To the north of the fort, 250 houses were grouped together in an arch formation.

From Qatar Museum Authority

Al Jassassiya

The Al-Jassassiya site is one of the most mysterious and attractive sites in Qatar. Northeast of Doha, it is one of the few places where you can find petroglyphs, which are collections of rare and amazing signs carved in stone. Carvings can be found at other sites, however those found at Al-Jassassiya are considered the most extraordinary in terms of both their quality and their state of preservation.

An astounding 900 glyphs can be found at Al-Jassasiya. Shapes vary from geometric patterns to representations of animals and boats found on two parallel “jebels,” which are outcrops of fossil and sand dunes.

Seventy-one daisy shaped patterns made up of nine small holes around a larger central hole also exist. Some believe they were used for a game called “ailah,” known as “umm al-judairah” in Kuwait and Bahrain.

The most common outlines are double rows of seven to nine shapes that look like cups (333 in total, 193 with seven cups). These cups are believed to have been used for another game called “haloosa” or “huwaila”. It is known in West Africa as “mandala”.

Similar carved rows dating back to the 15th century BC can be found in the temple of Karnak in Luxor, Egypt, and others dating back to the 5th century BC can be found in the same place.

The total number of double rows and daisies, combined with the wide range of variations in the size of cups, casts doubt upon their use as game tables and suggests they are more likely to be symbolic representations carved by an old local culture still waiting to be researched.

The most unusual carvings are those of thick-finned fish fossils, boats with numerous oars, scorpions walking on the rocks, donkeys and those depicting the outlines of turtles. In total, these carvings number more than 100.

Mystery surrounds several deep holes that are connected by thin channels through which water can run. It is believed that these designs celebrated the rain, which is, of course, rare and precious in Qatar. There are also a few carvings that appear to be groups of stars connected by lines, representing constellations.

A Danish archaeological mission studied the site in 1961 and at the beginning of the 1970s. Qatari authorities are currently consulting other experts for further interpretations. Many theories exist, but there is very little compelling evidence to determine the dates of origin of these fascinating carvings.

Ruins of old settlements and dwellings containing local and foreign pottery dating back to the 15th century have been uncovered around the outcrops at Al-Jassasiya. Yet the carvings are believed by some to be much older. Others, however, point to the softness of the rocks on the outcrops, which can be eroded quite easily, suggesting that the carvings might be more recent.

UTM coordinates N 25° 57' 07.7" E 51° 24' 22.8"

Directions

Al-Jassassiya is in the northeast of Qatar, 75 km from Doha. Take the North Road toward Al-Khor for approximately 85 km and turn right at the Al-Huwaila sign (you will see a white mosque at the junction). Then, take the first paved road on your left and go straight; after three km you should see a large fenced area on the left side of the road accessible through several gates. This is the site of the rock carvings. The first outcrop is parallel to the road. The biggest carvings are located beside an old sign you can see from the road. The second group of carvings is further north on the other outcrop, and is accessible through a gate further down the road.

From Heritage of Qatar