By air
Hamad (DOH), ~1.5 h
Middle East · Qatar
Al Zubarah, Qatar
A UNESCO pearling town in the desert
Getting there
Best time to visit
November to March — mild
Don't miss
Al Zubarah Fort
The archaeological site
Al Thakira
Things to do
The fort
The archaeological site
The northern mangroves
Where to eat
Sources: Photo: Alex Sergeev (www.asergeev.com) · CC BY-SA 3.0
What to pack
A sun hat
A quieter corner
Al Thakira's mangroves by kayak
Questions travellers ask
When should I visit Al Zubarah?
November to March, when it's mild. Bring a sun hat.
What is there to see at Al Zubarah?
Al Zubarah Fort and the archaeological site of a UNESCO pearling town in the desert.
Is there more to do near Al Zubarah?
Kayak through Al Thakira's mangroves, the hidden gem up north.
How far is Al Zubarah from Doha's airport?
It's about 1.5 h from Hamad (DOH). Pack a picnic for the coast.
About Al Zubarah
- Coastal
- Desert
Where it is
Al Zubarah is a ruined walled town on the north-west coast of the Qatar peninsula, in the Al Shamal municipality north-west of Doha, facing the Gulf and Bahrain across a shallow bay.
History
Al Zubarah was founded in the 1760s by merchants from Kuwait and grew into one of the leading pearling and trading towns of the Gulf. It was sacked in 1811, declined through the 19th century and was abandoned by the early 20th century. The archaeological site, with a fort built in 1938, became Qatar's first UNESCO World Heritage Site in 2013.
People
No one lives in Al Zubarah today; the northern towns nearby, such as Al Ruwais and Madinat Al Shamal, are home to Qatari families whose forebears lived from pearling, fishing and herding. Arabic is spoken, and old pearl-diving songs and dhow traditions are kept alive at heritage events such as the annual dhow festival at Katara in Doha.
Known for
- Al Zubarah Fort
- The excavated pearling town
- The UNESCO archaeological site
- The mangroves of Al Thakira nearby
- Views across the Gulf towards Bahrain
Did you know?
Al Zubarah is one of the best-preserved examples of the pearling and trading towns that once lined the Gulf, with its streets, houses, souks and palaces surviving under the sand.
We haven't written a guide for this place yet — you can still plan a trip here.