Unearthing Al Zubarah
28 February 2023 | Produced by Ali Al Anssari
Al Zubarah, Qatar’s largest heritage site, was once a thriving trading port, known for pearl diving and molasses production. It was named a UNESCO World Heritage Site in 2013 and is the best–preserved example of an eighteenth–to nineteenth–century trading and fishing town in the Gulf region.
In this video, Faisal Abdullah Al-Naimi, Director of Archaeology, and Adel Abdullatif Al Moslamani, Director of Cultural Heritage Conservation at Qatar Museums, tell us the story of Al Zubarah: its significance as the last city to rely on pearl diving in the eighteenth century, and its resilience in the face of threats and attempts at vandalisation across time.
The archaeological site comprises the remains of houses, masajid (mosques), madabis (date presses), large fortified buildings and a market, all of which are open to visitors. Watch this video to learn more about the processes of restoration and excavation that made this possible.