#HCAQatar Visit to Al Zubarah Archaeological Site

Last Saturday there was a trip to the Al Zubarah Archaeological Site in the north of Qatar, for Honorary Cultural Ambassadors. And on this occasion some of us took family with us as well. So Vic came along for the ride and an excellent guided tour of the site too.  A once thriving trading post for Qatar, Al Zubarah was home for between 5,000 and 9,000 residents at it’s peak.

Al Zubarah

Because I am lazy, I am just going to copy paste an extract from the Qatar Museums website

A WORLD HERITAGE SITE

Once a thriving port bustling with fishermen and merchants, the town of Al Zubarah was designated a protected area in 2009. Since then, Qatar Museums has led teams of archaeologists and scientists to investigate the site. Through their research and engagement with local communities, they are documenting and shedding light on the rise and fall of this unique area.

In 2013 the World Heritage Committee inscribed Al Zubarah Archaeological Site into the UNESCO World Heritage List. The site includes three major features, the largest of which are the archaeological remains of the town, dating back to the 1760s. Connected to it is the settlement of Qal’at Murair, which was fortified to protect the city’s inland wells. Al Zubarah Fort was built in 1938 and is the youngest, most prominent feature at the site.

 

Al Zubarah
A photo of Vic posing in front of Al Zubarah Fort I took back in 2012

If time allows, any visitor to Qatar should take a drive up north to experience Al Zubarah. It took me around 1 hour 30 minuets to comfortably drive the distance including a refreshment break.

Al Zubarah

 

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