Ath Thaqab () is an abandoned village 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 ...

, in the

municipality A municipality is usually a single administrative division having municipal corporation, corporate status and powers of self-government or jurisdiction as granted by national and regional laws to which it is subordinate. The term ''municipality' ...

Al Shamal Al Shamal () is a municipality in Qatar. Its seat is Madinat ash Shamal and it is considered to be one of the major cities in Qatar, although its population is barely over 7,000. The seat's name translates to "city of the north". Ras Rakan, t ...

, approximately away from the capital

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 ...

. It is close to the settlements of Al Ruwaydah and Al Khuwayr, the latter of which is only away. Thaqab Fort is located in the vicinity of the settlement.

History

Archaeological evidence has shown that Thaqab has been inhabited since the 10th century. In J. G. Lorimer's ''

Gazetteer of the Persian Gulf The ''Gazetteer of the Persian Gulf, Oman and Central Arabia'' (nicknamed ''Lorimer'') is a two-volume encyclopedia compiled by John Gordon Lorimer. The ''Gazetteer'' was published in secret by the British government in India in 1908 and 1915 a ...

'', it is stated that in 1908, Ath Thaqab had a well from which the inhabitants of the nearby settlement of Al Khuwayr would fetch their water. The well was described as being approximately deep and yielding good water. In the early 20th century, the Bedouins of the

Na'im The Na'im () (singular Al Nuaimi ) are an Arab tribe in the United Arab Emirates. The tribe is also present in other gulf countries. The Na'im are divided into three sections, the Al Bu Kharaiban, the Khawatir and the Al Bu Shamis (singular ...

tribe living in the region of Zubarah were involved in conflicts with the

Al Thani The House of Thani () is the ruling family of Qatar, with origins tracing back to the Adnanites, Adnanite Banu Tamim tribe. Today Tamim bin Hamad Al Thani and his mother Moza bint Nasser, Moza bint Nassir lead the house. History and structure ...

who ruled Qatar. Though they were loyal to the

Al Khalifa The House of Khalifa () is the ruling family of the Kingdom of Bahrain. They profess Sunni Islam and belong to the Anizah tribe. Some members of this tribe joined the Utub alliance which migrated from Najd in central Arabia to Kuwait, then r ...

, the ruling family of Bahrain, the tribe agreed to abide by the rules set by Qatar's emir,

Abdullah bin Jassim Al Thani Abdullah bin Jassim bin Mohammed Al Thani (), also known as Sheikh Abdullah bin Jassim Al Thani or Sheikh Abdullah bin Qassim Al Thani, was the Emir of Qatar from 1913 to 1949. Oil was discovered in Qatar for the first time during his rule. ...

. In July 1937, Sheikh Abdullah Al Thani reported to the British agency that he was to take action against the Na'im tribe who were residing in Ath Thaqab over their perceived violation of the country's laws. The tribal leader of the Na'im claimed that Abdullah Al Thani had "stolen their cattle" and had set fire to the Na'im's houses and villages before and after his decree. Hostilities came to a boiling point when an armed force sent by Abdullah Al Thani, numbering in the hundreds, confronted around 60 armed men of the Na'im who were encamped inside Ath Thaqab Fort. According to Rashid bin Mohammed, upon encountering the Qatari loyalists, he and his troops surrendered, but four of his men were shot and killed anyway. Abdullah Al Thani's forces continued to capture the fort and occupy the villages of Ath Thaqab,

Freiha Freiha () is a small deserted village on the north-western coast of the Qatar Peninsula in the Al Shamal municipality. It lies in the Zubarah region, located north of Zubarah town. It was founded by the Al Bin Ali tribe, an Utub tribe, in the firs ...

, Al-ʽArish and Al Khuwayr, whose inhabitants were among the Na'im supporters. After the Na'im had conceded defeat, Abdullah Al Thani confiscated most of their weapons, including 40 rifles from the people of Ath Thaqab, and some of their livestock. Based on field work carried out by anthropologists in Qatar in the 1950s, the main tribe in the area of Ath Thaqab were the ''Al Hiyyeh'' branch of the Na'im tribe.

Ath Thaqab Fort

Ath Thaqab Fort is rectangular in shape and has four towers. A courtyard with stairs leading to the towers are in the center of the fort. It dates to somewhere between the 17th and 19th century.

Gallery

Ath Thaqab Fort.jpg, Ath Thaqab Fort, outside view. Stone ruins near Ath Thaqab Fort.jpg, Stone ruins near Ath Thaqab Fort. Round tower of Ath Thaqab Fort.jpg, Round tower of Ath Thaqab Fort. Farm structures near Ath Thaqab Fort.jpg, Farm structures near Ath Thaqab Fort.

References

External links

Geographic.org
Populated places in Al Shamal Archaeological sites in Qatar {{Qatar-geo-stub