Q Life Magazine Q Magazine December 2016 | Page 73

|The rectangular eastern tower of Zubarah fort, Qatar With the help of local and international archaeologists and scientists, including British researchers from University College London, the site of Al Zubarah—and the visitor centre in the nearby fort—provides important clues to Qatar’s cultural identity. The 60-hectare archaeological site includes remains of houses, mosques, large fortified buildings, and a market. Such archaeological evidence offers invaluable insight into the history of the pearl trade and the development of the modern Gulf region. the remains of a pearl-fishing settlement that experts believe could date back around 300 years. The Fuwairit dig is funded by a QR3 million grant from the Qatar Foundation‘s Qatar National Research Fund and is an extension to the Origins of Doha and Qatar Project run by UCL Qatar. Earlier this year, archaeologists from University College London Qatar, unearthed more of Qatar’s past. At a site in Fuwairit in the north of the country, there are 73