Freiha

Visits to Freiha are a must for anyone with a passion for history and archaeology while in Qatar. This abandoned town on the northwest shore of the peninsula is one of the many ancient sites found throughout the nation.

The Al Bin Ali clan initially established the Freiha Settlement on a shallow harbor about north of Al Zubarah. Because of its ancient beginnings, its age has not yet been established by scholars. Archaeologists have confined the village's most active historical period to the 17th and 18th centuries through excavation work. According to one theory, Freiha was dispersed when the most recent Al Zubarah was built.

It wasn't until 2005 that the settlement attracted substantial archaeological attention, and every year since then, a mosque, dwellings, and middens, or trash piles, have all been found.

The settlement's centerpiece, Qal'at Freiha, should not be missed. Ruins of corner towers and protective walls in Islamic architecture may be seen on this massive fort-like construction. You can see domestic goods reflecting the time and date pressed inside. Look for relics of Freiha's once-vibrant fishing culture, such as fish bones and stone fish traps, which have been found during excavations.