Al Zubarah fort

A UNESCO World Heritage Site, Al Zubarah fort offers a glimpse into Qatar’s history.

Al Zubarah Fort is a historical fort in Qatar. It was originally built by the Sheikh Abdullah bin Jassim Al Thani in 1938. It is the most iconic desert fort of Qatar. It gets its name from the nearby archaeological site of Al Zubarah town, which is a UNESCO World Heritage Site. This is a deserted, ruined, walled town dating back to the 17th century. The town, once a thriving pearl fishing and trading port which had its own fort called Qalat Murair, was destroyed in 1811. It was resettled in the late 1820s but on a smaller scale. In 1938 Al Zubarah Fort was built by Sheikh Abdullah bin Jassim Al Thani to replace the by then dilapidated Qalat Murair and abandoned town of Al Zubarah.

Today, the fort has been transformed into a museum where visitors can explore artefacts from the pearl diving era. Nearby attractions include Al Thaqab Fort and turtle hatching season along the coast. Near the town of Al Khor, visitors can kayak through the Al Thakira Mangroves or explore Bin Ghannam, also known as Purple Island for the dye produced here in antiquity.