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 first half of the eighteenth century after migrating from the historical town of Zubarah.تاريخ آل خليفة في البحرين - الشيخ عبدالله بن خالد آل خليفة والدكتور علي أبا حسين، الجزء الثاني، ص 18Rihani, Ameen Fares (1930), Around the coasts of Arabia, Houghton Mifflin Company, page 297Arabian Frontiers: The Story of Britain's Boundary Drawing in the Desert, John C Wilkinson, p44قلائد النحرين في تاريخ البحرين تأليف ناصر بن جوهر بن مبارك الخيري، تقديم ودراسة عبدالرحمن بن عبدالله الشقير،2003، ص 215.

The age and origin of the settlement is unknown, however excavations and historical documents suggest that it was at its peak in the 17th–18th century, almost certainly pre-dating its larger neighbour Zubarah. The village covers an area of approximately 50 hectares, extending for north to south along the coast and approximately east to west inland. It is sited around a shallow bay.

Etymology

The name Freiha comes from the Arabic word 'Faraihah', which means 'joy'.

History

In 1732, the Bani Utbah clans, namely the Al Bin Ali and Al Khalifa, migrated from Kuwait and settled in Zubarah. Shortly after, the Al Bin Ali branched off and founded Freiha a short distance away from Zubarah.

The Bani Utbah clans were the original dominant group controlling the Zubarah region including Freiha on the Qatar Peninsula, they were a politically important group that moved between Qatar and Bahrain, originally the center of power of the Bani Utbah. The Bani Utbah were also known for their courage, persistence, and abundant wealth.

In J. G. Lorimer's ''Gazetteer of the Persian Gulf'' published in 1904, Freiha was described as a place 3 miles south of Al Khuwayr which had a few trading boats and approximately 150 inhabitants, most of whom were fishermen.

Freiha was among the villages occupied by Abdullah bin Jassim Al Thani's forces in July 1937 during his military expedition against the Na'im tribe and its supporters, whom he considered to be defectors to Bahrain.

Archaeology

The site was subjected to investigations by Qatari archaeologists in the 2005. More recently in 2009, the QMA, jointly with the University of Copenhagen, launched the Qatar Islamic Archaeology and Heritage Project (QIAH), a ten-year research, conservation and heritage initiative, to investigate sites in the Al Zubarah hinterland. The project is an initiative by the Qatar Museums Authority's Chairperson Sheikha Al-Mayassa bint Hamad Al Thani and Vice-Chairperson Sheikh Hassan bin Mohamed Al Thani. The QIAH project has carried out a complete topographic survey of the site of Freiha, allowing a map to be produced. This has led to a new series of excavations on the site, targeted at a central mosque, several domestic structures, and middens (rubbish dumps) surrounding the settlement.

Qal'at Freiha

One of the main features of the site is the partially excavated and conserved Qal'at Freiha, a high fortified building measuring approximately , with evidence of corner towers in the Islamic style, excavated and conserved in 2005. Inside the fort a variety of domestic structures were found, including store rooms and date presses (madbassat).

Mosque

Close to the centre of the settlement and the fort, the village's second largest structure has been excavated. The architecture and alignment suggests that this building was a mosque. Elements such as a mihrab, minbar, a well for washing, and an open courtyard all closely mirror other later Qatari mosques.

Domestic architecture

The domestic structures of Freiha appear typical of the Persian Gulf region and the time period. They consist of small stone built rooms, frequently with small open courtyards attached to them. Where excavations have been carried out, these structures appear to undergo constant remodelling throughout their lifespan, often with small rooms and sub divisions being added. Finds evidence in the form of stone fishing weights, large amounts of fish bones and the presence of extensive tidal fish traps suggests a primarily marine based economy. It seems likely from archaeological evidence, that the first occupation of the site was in temporary structures, and shelters prior to more permanent, mud and then stone dwellings being built.

Rock art

In 1956, Geoffrey Bibby and Peter Glob discovered several hundred cup-marks carved in rock in Freiha. The sizes range from and have a depth of , with most being in diameter and having a depth of . Bibby and Glob noted that the cup-marks are similar to those found in Bahrain dating to the Dilmun period. Several hand and footprints were also documented in Freiha.

Geometrical designs were recorded at Freiha in four places. They measure in width and in height. Peter Glob believed that they were carved by an ancient fertility cult.Abdul Nayeem (1998), p. 256. This theory was disputed by archaeologist Muhammad Abdul Nayeem, who believes that they are abstract symbols or tribal marks.

Danish archaeologist Hans Kapel recorded a total of 303 rock carvings at Freiha during his 1983 survey of Qatar.

Gallery

Beachrock covered with oil in Freiha.jpg, Beachrock covered with oil in Freiha.
Colorful beachrock in Freiha.jpg, Beachrock in Freiha.

References

External links

*Rees, G.; Walmsley, A. G.; Richter, T. (2011). "Investigations in the Zubarah Hinterland at Murayr and Furayhah, North-West Qatar". Proceedings of the Seminar for Arabian Studies 41: 309–316.
*Richter, T., ed. (2010). Qatar Islamic Archaeology and Heritage Project. End of Season Report. Stage 2, Season 1, 2009-2010. University of Copenhagen/Qatar Museums Authority.
*Richter, T.; Wordsworth, P. D.; Walmsley, A. G. (2011). "Pearlfishers, townsfolk, Bedouin and Shaykhs: economic and social relations in Islamic Al-Zubarah". Proceedings of the Seminar for Arabian Studies 41: 1–16.
*Walmsley, A.; Barnes, H.; Macumber, P. (2010). "Al-Zubarah and its hinterland, north Qatar: excavations and survey, spring 2009". Proceedings of the Seminar for Arabian Studies 40: 55–68.

{{Al Shamal Municipality

Archaeological sites in Qatar
Al Shamal