A view of Al Wajbah Fort.
Doha: Al Wajbah Fort is one of the oldest forts and among the most prominent tourist destinations in Qatar, as it is associated with the battle of Al Wajbah, which was a watershed moment in the modern history of Qatar and contributed to building its active personality at the regional and international levels.
Located in Al Rayyan city, the fort has a distinct historical position. It is 15km west of Doha, and is known as one of the ancient historical forts, as it was built in the late 1800s. It is distinguished by its high towers and thick walls, in addition to the beautiful nature that surrounds it. Al Wajbah area is a green land characterised by the abundance of desert trees and grasses that cover its land most days of the year. It is also distinguished by the presence of three wells with fresh water.
The importance of Al Wajbah Fort is due to the battle that took place in it on March 25, 1893, as it was the scene of heroic events that illustrate the honour of the ancestors and ended with the victory of the Qatari forces led by Sheikh Jassim bin Mohammed bin Thani, the ruler of Qatar at the time, over the Ottoman forces led by the governor of Basra Mehmed Hafiz Pasha.
Its importance is also due to being the residence of Sheikh Hamad bin Abdullah Al Thani in different periods. The Fort contains rooms on the ground floor and the upper floor and is famous for its four watchtowers. It was returned to its original state after many restorations. Moreover, it takes a rectangular shape, and its side length from north to south is 34 meters and from east to west 19 meters.
It has four towers, two are rectangular and two are circular in each of the northwest corner and the southeast corner. The two circular towers are decorated with pointed balconies, while the other two towers do not have balconies.
The Fort is also characterised by its high walls and thick walls. The walls of it have straight gutters integrated into the wall to drain rainwater. It is built of solid limestone and clay, and the walls are covered with plaster and the ceilings are wooden topped with a layer of clay.
Al Wajbah Fort consists of 19 rooms on the ground level, in addition to the upper rooms of the four towers. It also includes a majlis on the north side, as well as many buildings and rooms that were built inside and outside the fort walls.
Maintenance and restoration work was carried out on the historical fort, in preparation for its use as a military museum, a center for handicrafts, or otherwise.
The Fort has now become a tourist attraction in Qatar, where people and fans of the World Cup can visit to enjoy the historical monuments and learn about all forms of folklore, in addition to watching and discovering the wonderful Qatari architecture, especially the ancient art whose effects are clearly visible in its ruins and monuments dating back to that time.
