Al Zubarah Archaeological Site

Al Zubarah, once a busy pearl fishing and trading harbor, is now Qatar's greatest heritage site, complete with an outstanding city wall, historic homes, markets, mansions, and mosques.

• World Heritage Site: 

Al Zubarah in 2009 saw the designation as a conservation zone. Since then, Qatar Museums has directed groups of scientists and archaeologists to study at the location and interact with nearby communities.

Al Zubarah was listed as a UNESCO World Heritage site in 2013 by the World Heritage Committee. The town's archaeological remnants, which date to the 1760s, are the site's largest of three significant elements. The nearby community of Qal'at Murair was fortified to safeguard the city's inland wells. The Al Zubarah Fort, which was erected in 1938, is the site's most noticeable feature.

• New Perspective: 

To ensure that future generations can likewise marvel at the location, the Qatar Museums team is currently attempting to protect the fort from the severe desert and coastal conditions. Additionally, they are constructing a viewing deck in the northwest tower that will give guests a vantage point. The interactive nature of digital displays is intended to add to the visitor experience.

• Significance: 

The cultural environment of Al Zubarah and the socioeconomic changes that have shaped the region's major coastal towns from the Early Islamic era through the 20th century are on display there, along with the region's trading heritage and pearl-diving customs. It is a priceless illustration of the capabilities of the era's urban design. It also prompts us to consider the formerly peaceful coexistence of cultures and ethnicities from the Arabian Peninsula and provides illustrations of conventional Qatari construction methods.

• Public Art: 

Researchers from the Universities of Exeter and Copenhagen discovered 15 drawings carved into the plaster on the walls of the historic structures in Al Zubarah in 2014. Large ocean vessels that were frequently utilized for trade in the Gulf and the Indian Ocean were pictured in the ancient graffiti. 

The find served as another further proof of Al Zubarah's prominence as a trading port in the 18th and 19th centuries, as well as the locals' connection to the sea. Other artifacts discovered at the Al Zubarah site in the past include Chinese ceramics from the 18th century, earthenware, and diving weights.