Wikipedia

Al Zubara Fort

Al Zubara Fort
حصن الزبارة
Zubarah in Qatar
Al Zubara Fort.
Site information
TypeHistorical Fortress
OwnerQatar Government; Ministry of Tourism, Qatar Museums Authority
Open to
the public		Yes
ConditionIntact
Location
Al Zubara Fort is located in Qatar
Al Zubara Fort
Al Zubara Fort
Coordinates25°58′37″N 51°02′43″E / 25.9769°N 51.0454°E / 25.9769; 51.0454
Site history
Built1938
Built bySheikh Abdullah bin Jassim Al Thani
In use1938–mid 1980s
MaterialsCompressed mud, coral rock, gypsum plaster, limestone, and wood
Tour of Qatar Women 2012 map, showing Al Zubara fort on northwestern part of the map.

Al Zubara Fort (Arabic: حصن الزبارة), also known as Fort Zubarah, Zubarah Fort, Al Zubarah Fort, or Az Zubarah Fort, is a historic Qatari military fortress built under the oversight of Sheikh Abdullah bin Jassim Al Thani in 1938.[1][2]

History

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Following the 1937 Qatari–Bahraini conflict, Al Zubara Fort was built by Sheikh Abdullah bin Jassim Al Thani in 1938 to serve as a Coast Guard station, although some claim that it was built to serve as a police station.[3] It was built partially from the remnants of the ruined Qal'at Murair, which it effectively replaced.[4] It was later converted into a museum to display diverse exhibits and artwork, especially for contemporarily topical archaeological findings.[1][2]

Geography

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Al Zubara Fort is situated in the ancient town of Zubarah, which in turn is located on the northwestern coast of the Qatari Peninsula in the Al Shamal municipality, and is about 105 km (65 mi) north of Doha, the capital of Qatar.[1][5]

Structure

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Al Zubara Fort has a square courtyard surrounded by walls on all sides. The walls are 1 metre (3.3 ft) thick and were built by stacking pieces of coral rock and limestone using mud as a mortar, then coating the stack in a gypsum-based plaster. Three of the fort's corners have round towers with Qatari-style battlements whilst the fourth has a rectangular tower with machicolations. There's a 15 metres (49 ft) deep well in the courtyard.[1]

Eight rooms on the ground floor, which originally housed soldiers, are now used to house exhibits.[1]

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  • Al Zubarah Fort
    Al Zubarah Fort
  • Restoration activities in 2015 at the fort
    Restoration activities in 2015 at the fort
  • Al Zubarah Fort
    Al Zubarah Fort
  • Al Zubarah Fort
    Al Zubarah Fort

See also

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References

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  1. ^ a b c d e "Qatar Tourism Authority — Forts". Qatartourism.gov.qa. Archived from the original on 2012-06-17. Retrieved 2012-10-30.
  2. ^ a b "Al Zubarah Fort :: Qatar Visitor". Qatarvisitor.com. Archived from the original on 2013-12-17. Retrieved 2012-10-30.
  3. ^ Polak-Springer, Peter (14 December 2020). "Bordering Zubara: Oil Politics, the 1937 Qatari–Bahraini Conflict, and the Making of a Modern Arabian (Persian) Gulf Borderland". Journal of Borderlands Studies. 37 (5): 1071–1095. doi:10.1080/08865655.2020.1855228. Retrieved 23 August 2025.
  4. ^ Pandey, Rishika (15 March 2022). "Bahrain vs Qatar: Examining the viability of Arbitration and Mediation in International Territorial Disputes" (PDF). The Centre for Middle East Studies, Haryana. p. 25. Retrieved 25 August 2025.
  5. ^ "Major Museums & Forts". Qatarembassy.net. Archived from the original on 2006-01-26. Retrieved 2012-10-30.
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Wikimedia Commons has media related to Al Zubara Fort.
Wikivoyage has a travel guide for Zubarah.