Freiha
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Freiha () is a small deserted village on the north-western coast of the Qatar Peninsula in the
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 ...
municipality. It lies in the
Zubarah Zubarah (), also referred to as Al Zubarah or Az Zubarah, is a ruined, ancient town located on the northwestern coast of the Qatar peninsula in the Al Shamal municipality, about from the capital Doha. It was founded by Shaikh Muhammed bin Khal ...
region, located north of Zubarah town. It was founded by the
Al Bin Ali Al Bin Ali () is a Sunni Arab sub-tribal confederation based in the Arab states, especially Bahrain, Qatar, Kuwait, the UAE, and the Eastern Province of Saudi Arabia. The Al bin Ali Al Utbi Tribe is a descendant of the original Utub tribe which ...
tribe, an
Utub The Bani Utbah (, plural Utub; ', singular Utbi; ') is an Arab tribal confederation in the Arabian Peninsula. The confederation is thought to have been formed when a group of clans from Najd migrated to Eastern Arabia in the late 17th century ...
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 The age and origin of the settlement is unknown, however excavations and historical documents suggest that it was at its peak in the 17th–18th century, almost certainly pre-dating its larger neighbour Zubarah.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 The Bani Utbah (, plural Utub; ', singular Utbi; ') is an Arab tribal confederation in the Arabian Peninsula. The confederation is thought to have been formed when a group of clans from Najd migrated to Eastern Arabia in the late 17th century ...
clans, namely the
Al Bin Ali Al Bin Ali () is a Sunni Arab sub-tribal confederation based in the Arab states, especially Bahrain, Qatar, Kuwait, the UAE, and the Eastern Province of Saudi Arabia. The Al bin Ali Al Utbi Tribe is a descendant of the original Utub tribe which ...
and
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 ...
, migrated from
Kuwait Kuwait, officially the State of Kuwait, is a country in West Asia and the geopolitical region known as the Middle East. It is situated in the northern edge of the Arabian Peninsula at the head of the Persian Gulf, bordering Iraq to Iraq–Kuwait ...
and settled in
Zubarah Zubarah (), also referred to as Al Zubarah or Az Zubarah, is a ruined, ancient town located on the northwestern coast of the Qatar peninsula in the Al Shamal municipality, about from the capital Doha. It was founded by Shaikh Muhammed bin Khal ...
. 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 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 ...
'' published in 1904, Freiha was described as a place 3 miles south of
Al Khuwayr Al Khuwayr () is an abandoned village in northwest Qatar, located in the municipality of Al Shamal. It is a popular domestic tourist attraction due to its history and ruined structures. History 18th century Al Khuwayr was previously known as ''Kh ...
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 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. ...
's forces in July 1937 during his military expedition against 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 and its supporters, whom he considered to be defectors to
Bahrain Bahrain, officially the Kingdom of Bahrain, is an island country in West Asia. Situated on the Persian Gulf, it comprises a small archipelago of 50 natural islands and an additional 33 artificial islands, centered on Bahrain Island, which mak ...
.


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 The University of Copenhagen (, KU) is a public university, public research university in Copenhagen, Copenhagen, Denmark. Founded in 1479, the University of Copenhagen is the second-oldest university in Scandinavia, after Uppsala University. ...
, launched the
Qatar Islamic Archaeology and Heritage Project Zubarah (), also referred to as Al Zubarah or Az Zubarah, is a ruined, ancient town located on the northwestern coast of the Qatar peninsula in the Al Shamal municipality, about from the capital Doha. It was founded by Shaikh Muhammed bin Khali ...
(QIAH), a ten-year research, conservation and heritage initiative, to investigate sites in the Al Zubarah
hinterland Hinterland is a German word meaning the 'land behind' a city, a port, or similar. Its use in English was first documented by the geographer George Chisholm in his ''Handbook of Commercial Geography'' (1888). Originally the term was associated wi ...
. The project is an initiative by the Qatar Museums Authority's Chairperson Sheikha
Al-Mayassa bint Hamad Al Thani Al-Mayassa bint Hamad bin Khalifa Al Thani (; born 1983) is the sister of Qatar's ruling Emir Tamim bin Hamad Al Thani, and daughter of the country's former Emir Hamad bin Khalifa Al Thani and his second wife Sheikha Moza bint Nasser Al-Missne ...
and Vice-Chairperson Sheikh
Hassan bin Mohamed Al Thani Sheikh Hassan bin Mohamed bin Ali Al Thani (born 1960 in Doha) A prominent member of the Qatari royal family and the grandson of the former Emir of Qatar is a Qatari artist, collector, researcher, and educator in the field of modern art from the ...
. 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 The Persian Gulf, sometimes called the Arabian Gulf, is a Mediterranean seas, mediterranean sea in West Asia. The body of water is an extension of the Arabian Sea and the larger Indian Ocean located between Iran and the Arabian Peninsula.Un ...
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 Thomas Geoffrey Bibby (14 October 1917 – 6 February 2001, Aarhus) was an English-born archaeologist. He is best known for discovering the ancient state of Dilmun, referred to in Mesopotamian mythology as a paradise. He is often considered to have ...
and
Peter Glob Peter Vilhelm Glob (20 February 1911 – 20 July 1985), also known as P. V. Glob, was a Danish archaeologist. Glob was most noted for his investigations of Denmark's bog bodies such as the Tollund Man and Grauballe Man, mummified remains of Iron ...
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 Bahrain, officially the Kingdom of Bahrain, is an island country in West Asia. Situated on the Persian Gulf, it comprises a small archipelago of 50 natural islands and an additional 33 artificial islands, centered on Bahrain Island, which mak ...
dating to the
Dilmun Dilmun, or Telmun, ( Sumerian: ,Transliteration: Similar text: later 𒉌𒌇(𒆠), NI.TUKki = dilmunki; ) was an ancient East Semitic–speaking civilization in Eastern Arabia mentioned from the 3rd millennium BC onwards. Based on contextual ...
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