Zubara Introduction

Zubarah (also Al Zubarah or Az Zubarah) is a town in the northwest of the Qatar peninsula about 105 km from the Qatari capital of Doha. Zubarah was originally the center of power of the Al-Khalifa family, now the ruling family of Bahrain.

The Al-Khalifas settled at Zubarah before expelling the Persians from Bahrain in the 18th century. In the 19th century, the Al-Khalifas controlled the main archipelago of Bahrain, the Hawar Islands and the section of the Qatar peninsula around Zubarah called the Zubarah Bloc. In July 1937, Zubarah, by then largely in ruins, was taken by the Qatari Al-Thani family and remained a possession of Qatar after independence in 1971. Bahrain continued to dispute Qatari sovereignty until the issue was settled along with several other territorial issues by the International Court of Justice in 2001. For more, see Foreign relations of Qatar.

Zubarah is noted for its old fortress built in 1938 under orders of Qatari Sheikh 'Abdu'llah bin Qasim Al-Thani and restored in 1987 as a museum. The planned Qatar–Bahrain Friendship Bridge, slated to be the longest fixed link in the world, will connect the northwest coast of Qatar near Zubarah with Bahrain south of Manama

Zubara Weather

A harsh summer lasts from May to September with average temperatures around 35°C (95°F), although it can push as high as 48°C (118°F). If that weren't enough, high humidity adds to the discomfort. The winter months (December-February) are the time to go - there's the odd shower but the days are mild and pleasant and evenings are cool. Throughout the year, but especially in spring, Qatar is subject to sandstorms; rainstorms can also hit the country in December and January, causing road closures.

Zubara Attractions

Al Zubara Fort

Al Zubara Fort lies 105km northwest of Doha. It is open for the public and the Entrance is free of charge.

The capital city, is situated on a calm bay halfway along the East Coast of the Qatar peninsula. It is inhabited by 83% of the population in both Doha and Rayan suburb. Doha is the commercial and cultural center of the country.

Zubara History

The withdrawal of the Al Khalifa from Zubarah to Bahrain naturally decreased their power in Qatar, although the Al Khalifa returned for a short period in the nineteenth century and always kept close contact with Qatar. The most important clan in Qatar before the advent of the Al Khalifa were the Al Thani, descendants from Thani bin Muhammad bin Thamir bin Ali of the Bani Tamim, a large Adnani clan. Tradition holds that ancestors of the Al Thani migrated from Najd and settled chiefly in eastern Qatar at the Jibrin Oasis late in the seventeenth century. They eventually moved to Doha (Ad Dawhah), the present-day capital. Apparently the Al Thani were subject to the Al Khalifa until Muhammad bin Thani, shaykh of Doha, began to seek autonomy. The Al Thani were, however, powerless against the Al Khalifa until Ottoman influence increased in the eastern peninsula. The Ottomans were not concerned with direct rule of the states, realizing that such an attempt would net them little, but they did wish to establish a nominal suzerainty because of the strategic military position of states along the Gulf.

In 1872 the Al Thani became independent of the Al Khalifa when Shaykh Muhammad bin Thani became a qaim-maqam (Ottoman provincial ruler). Muhammad was succeeded by his son Qasim (1876-1913), who had a great vision for Qatar's future and who for a time became very influential in the peninsula. Qasim's son Abdallah (1913-49) attempted to continue the peninsular policies of his father and also remained under the tutelary direction of the Ottomans, but in 1916 he signed a treaty with Britain that was virtually identical with those signed by Kuwait and Bahrain.