Located in the Ash Shamal area, approximately 110km away from the capital Doha, lies one of Qatar’s traditional forts. Al Thaqab Fort, also known as Qal’at al Thaqab, dates back to the 19th century but archaeological evidence suggests that the Thaqab village itself may have been inhabited since the 10th century. The fort was believed to have been built at a time when the country’s northern most settlements thrived as a result of international trade.
The word ‘Thaqab’ means ‘the water in the bottom of the valley after the rain’, and not surprising then is the historic 35 feet deep well located to the west of the fort. Al Thaqab Fort famously has a square ground plan with three circular towers and a rectangular tower, which is a traditional layout for desert forts in Qatar. It also has a bent entrance and a couple of buildings for storing and processing dates. It was built from rough blocks of coral and limestone joined by a mud mortar.
Photo by Ramchandran Sreedharan
