More than 50 young volunteers from Qatar and around the world have begun a 20-day project to conserve the historical Al Zubarah heritage site.
Al Zubarah, Qatar’s largest heritage site, is also a Unesco World Heritage Site and one of the best-preserved examples of an 18th century merchant town in the Gulf region.
The project, which runs until November 25, forms part of Unesco’s World Heritage Volunteers ‘Together for Heritage’ campaign, an initiative that sits within the framework of the Unesco World Heritage Education Programme.
It aims to increase awareness and reinforce the importance of conserving and protecting world heritage.
The initiative helps to develop youth appreciation and respect for heritage and cultural diversity, creating a positive attitude towards heritage preservation.
During the project, volunteers, who have arrived from countries including Spain, Nigeria, Germany, Iraq, Jordan, Mexico, Egypt and the UAE, as well as 12 volunteers from Qatar, will take part in a series of both awareness raising and hands-on activities at Al Zubarah fort and other parts of the site, all focused on preventive conservation and preservation techniques.
Workshops and conservation activities, organised by Qatar Museums, Unesco and the Qatar Tourism Authority will include learning about techniques used in conservation and traditional building techniques in Qatar, ways to dismantle weak parts of buildings, conserving excavated areas of the site, applying and removal of plaster, and how to write documentation and conservation reports about the site.
Volunteers will also have the chance to immerse themselves in learning about the day-to-day life in a World Heritage property and engage in intercultural exchanges and activities with local communities, including storytelling, lectures and competitions.
All work undertaken by volunteers will support the master plan of protecting and preserving Al Zubarah heritage site.  
The volunteers attended a welcome reception at Al Zubarah yesterday.
The event was also attended by Mansoor bin Ebrahim al-Mahmoud, Qatar Museums acting CEO and adviser to chairperson HE Sheikha Al Mayassa bint Hamad bin Khalifa al-Thani. Al Zubarah, situated approximately 100km north-west of Doha, was founded in the mid-18th century. The town developed into a centre of pearling and international trade and rose to become the country’s largest and most important settlement.
Under the ‘Together for Heritage campaign,’ now in its ninth consecutive year, the initiative seeks to mobilise and involve young people aged 18-30 and youth organisations in World Heritage preservation and promotion.
Since its launch in 2008, 3,500 volunteers have participated, and 219 projects have been held in 46 countries at some of the most outstanding sites in the world.
This is the first time that Qatar Museums has participated in the project, which aims to raise awareness among young people, volunteers and the local community of the need to protect and promote the World Heritage Site and preserve the architectural remains at Al Zubarah, particularly against the harsh desert and coastal
conditions.

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