Zubarah

Zubarah, also called Al Zubarah or Az Zubarah, is a ruined ancient town on the northwestern coast of the Qatar peninsula in the Al Shamal municipality, about 105 kilometres from the capital Doha. It was founded by the Bani Utbah tribal confederation, who migrated from Kuwait in the mid-eighteenth century, and became a successful centre of global trade and pearl fishing 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 to 19th century settlement in the region, was designated a UNESCO World Heritage Site in 2013, and covers around 400 hectares, with 60 hectares inside the outer town wall, making it Qatar's most substantial archaeological site.