Zubarah
Zubarah (Arabic: الزبارة), also referred to as Al Zubarah or Az Zubarah, is a ruined, ancient fort located on the northwestern coast of the Qatar peninsula in the Al Shamal municipality, about 65 miles from the capital Doha. It was founded by Shaikh Muhammed bin Khalifa, the founder father of Al Khalifa royal family of Bahrain, the main and principal Utub tribe in the first half of the eighteenth century. It was designated a UNESCO World Heritage Site in 2013.
Zubarah
الزبارة Al Zubarah Az Zubarah | |
|---|---|
Ruined Town | |
The iconic Zubarah Fort found in Zubarah. | |
Geographical location of Zubarah. | |
Al Shamal in Qatar. | |
Zubarah | |
| Coordinates: 25°58′43″N 51°01′35″E | |
| Country | Qatar |
| Municipality | Al Shamal |
| Zone no. | 78 |
| Area | |
| • Total | 4.6 km2 (1.8 sq mi) |
| • Land | 4 km2 (2 sq mi) |
| Demonym(s) | Zubaran Al Zubaran |
| Official name | Al Zubarah Archaeological Site |
| Type | Cultural |
| Criteria | iii, iv, v |
| Designated | 2013 (37th session) |
| Reference no. | 1402 |
| Region | Western Asia |
It was once a successful center of global trade and pearl fishing positioned midway between the Strait of Hormuz and the west arm of the Persian Gulf. It is one of the most extensive and best preserved examples of an 18th–19th century settlement in the region. The layout and urban fabric of the settlement has been preserved in a manner unlike any other settlements in the Persian Gulf, providing insight into the urban life, spatial organization, and the social and economic history of the Persian Gulf before the discovery of oil and gas in the 20th century.
Covering an area of circa 400 hectares (60 hectares inside the outer town wall), Zubarah is Qatar's most substantial archaeological site. The site comprises the fortified town with a later inner and an earlier outer wall, a harbour, a sea canal, two screening walls, Qal'at Murair (Murair fort), and the more recent Zubarah Fort.