Al Wajbah Fort is one of the oldest forts in
Qatar
Qatar, officially the State of Qatar, is a country in West Asia. It occupies the Geography of Qatar, Qatar Peninsula on the northeastern coast of the Arabian Peninsula in the Middle East; it shares Qatar–Saudi Arabia border, its sole land b ...
. Located in the locality of
Al Wajbah in
Al Rayyan
Al Rayyan (; also spelled ''Ar Rayyan'') is the third-largest municipalities of Qatar, municipality in Qatar. Its primary settlement is the Al Rayyan (city), city of the same name, which occupies the entire eastern section and is a part of the Do ...
, it is situated west of
Doha
Doha ( ) is the capital city and main financial hub of Qatar. Located on the Persian Gulf coast in the east of the country, north of Al Wakrah and south of Al Khor (city), Al Khor and Lusail, it is home to most of the country's population. It ...
. The fort was built in the late 18th or 19th century and was the location of an important battle when the army of Sheikh
Jassim bin Mohammed Al Thani
Jassim bin Mohammed Al Thani (; – 17 July 1913), also known as "The Founder", was the founder of the State of Qatar. He had a total of 56 children, 19 sons and 37 daughters.
Early life
Jassim bin Mohammed Al Thani was born around 1825. ...
subdued the
Ottoman army
The Military of the Ottoman Empire () was the armed forces of the Ottoman Empire. It was founded in 1299 and dissolved in 1922.
Army
The Military of the Ottoman Empire can be divided in five main periods. The foundation era covers the years ...
in 1893.
It was used as the residence of
Hamad bin Abdullah Al Thani at various periods.
The fort's most prominent features are its four watchtowers. It underwent restoration in the later 20th century.
History
It is unknown exactly when Al Wajbah Fort was built, but it is thought to date back either to the late 18th century or the 19th century. At the time, Al Wajbah was a popular spot for the local Bedouins to graze their camels owing to its relative abundance of greenery compared to other nearby localities. In 1893, after sheikh
Jassim bin Mohammed Al Thani
Jassim bin Mohammed Al Thani (; – 17 July 1913), also known as "The Founder", was the founder of the State of Qatar. He had a total of 56 children, 19 sons and 37 daughters.
Early life
Jassim bin Mohammed Al Thani was born around 1825. ...
stopped paying taxes to the
Ottomans
Ottoman may refer to:
* Osman I, historically known in English as "Ottoman I", founder of the Ottoman Empire
* Osman II, historically known in English as "Ottoman II"
* Ottoman Empire
The Ottoman Empire (), also called the Turkish Empir ...
, they sent a contingent to confront him. This culminated in the
Battle of Al Wajbah, in which the Ottoman soldiers were defeated and forced to retreat to
Doha
Doha ( ) is the capital city and main financial hub of Qatar. Located on the Persian Gulf coast in the east of the country, north of Al Wakrah and south of Al Khor (city), Al Khor and Lusail, it is home to most of the country's population. It ...
, about three hours away.
Architecture
Rectangular in shape, the fortress measures in length and in width. The fort has four towers—two round and two rectangular. The round towers feature serrated upper platforms and shooting openings, whilst the rectangular ones lack such features. Drainage systems integrated into the fortress walls efficiently manage rainwater runoff.
Constructed primarily from hard limestone and clay, the fortress walls are plastered with gypsum. Inside, nineteen rooms on the lower level and upper chambers within the towers once served various purposes, including housing, worship, and assembly. Despite unauthorized modifications in the past, efforts in 1990 by the Museums and Archeology Department of the
National Council for Culture, Arts and Heritage restored the fortress to its original state, removing alterations and reinforcing structural integrity.
See also
*
Battle of Al Wajbah
References
Al Rayyan
Forts in Qatar
Military installations established in the 1880s
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