Our next stop today was Qatar’s first and only Unesco World Heritage site, which appeared in the desert as if out of nowhere. The impressive structure, built in 1938, has four striking towers and stands alone in a sea of sand. Inside are cabinets of artifacts containing pearl merchants’ boxes and simple yet utterly genius divers’ nose pegs – used for pearling decades ago. A large commercial and pearling port was located here in the 18th and 19th centuries. Archaeological excavations of the old pearling village are ongoing; a free shuttle and guide will take you there for a one-hour visit.
Parking location – Al Zubara: 25.976198N 51.045227E (🚻)