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Ras Abrouq

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Ras Abrouq
رأس أبروق
Richard Serra's East-West/West-East sculpture seen in Ras Abrouq at night
Richard Serra's East-West/West-East sculpture seen in Ras Abrouq at night
Ras Abrouq is located in Qatar
Ras Abrouq
Ras Abrouq
Location in Qatar
Coordinates: 25°34′41″N 50°50′46″E / 25.57806°N 50.84611°E / 25.57806; 50.84611
Country Qatar
MunicipalityAl-Shahaniya
ZoneZone 72
District no.203
Area
 • Total11.6 sq mi (30.1 km2)
Time zoneUTC+3 (AST)

Ras Abrouq (Arabic: رأس أبروق; also known as Bir Zekreet)[2] is the northernmost extension of the Zekreet Peninsula, a stretch of land to the north of Dukhan in Qatar.[3] It has a beach of the same name[2] and various archaeological sites. Since the 21st century it has functioned as a tourist site.[2]

Large parts of its territory are legally protected areas that are dedicated to a nature reserve for wild deer.[4] Richard Serra's East-West/West-East sculpture was completed in Brouq Nature Reserve in 2014 at the behest of the Qatar Museums Authority.[5]

Etymology

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In Arabic, the word "ras" translates to "head", and in this context is used to refer to a cape. The other constituent, "abrouq", is derived from the nearby range of light-colored hills in the Zekreet Peninsula (also known as the Abrouq Peninsula).[3]

Its name is also spelled as Ras Broog.[3]

Geography

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Ras Abrouq is a cape located on the tip of the Zekreet Peninsula near the city of Dukhan in western Qatar. It is 70 km west of the capital Doha.[6] It overlooks the Dawakhil Islands to the north, serving as a significant coastal landmark.[7] Located south of Ras Abrouq is the village of Zekreet.[3]

Geographically, it forms the northernmost point of the Dukhan region. The coastal area is relatively narrow, measuring about 3 kilometres (1.9 mi) in width, in contrast to the wider sections of the Dukhan region further south.[7]

Archaeology

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Ras Abrouq is one of the most extensive Neolithic sites in Qatar. It has one of the highest proportions of Ubaid potsherds in Qatar.[8] Excavations in the 1970s revealed a ring-like structure, hearths, Ubaid pottery, cairns, and stone tools dating to the Neolithic period. Many fish bones and snail shells were also recovered.[9] G.H. Smith, an excavator of the site, suggested that it was a seasonal encampment and that its inhabitants had trade relations with nearby civilizations.[9][10]

Further archaeological excavations yielded Barbar ceramics originating from the Dilmun civilization dating to the third millennium BC.[11] A number of chambered cairns dating to the same period contained 108 beads made of stone and shell.[12]

Excavations conducted during the mid-20th century uncovered potsherds of Seleucid characteristic and a cairnfield consisting of 100 burial mounds dating to the 3rd century BC.[13][14] The relatively large number of cairns suggest a sizable sea-faring community prevailed in the area during this period.[15]

Further excavations revealed a fishing station dating to c. 140 BC which was used by foreign vessels to dry fish during the Sasanian period.[16] A number of stone structures and large quantities of fish bones were recovered from the site.[15]

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References

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  1. ^ "District Area Map". Ministry of Development Planning and Statistics. Retrieved 13 March 2019.
  2. ^ a b c Natural Landmarks Archived 3 July 2015 at the Wayback Machine Qatar Tourism
  3. ^ a b c d "Geographic Information System". Ministry of Development Planning and Statistics. Archived from the original on 18 November 2018. Retrieved 10 July 2018.
  4. ^ "Ras Abrouq Rock Formations". National Tourism Council (Qatar). Retrieved 22 February 2019.
  5. ^ "Serra in the desert". ArtForum International. September 2014. Retrieved 19 July 2018.
  6. ^ "Tourist attractions". Ministry of Interior of Qatar. Retrieved 7 July 2015.
  7. ^ a b "طبوغرافية شبه جزيرة قطر" (in Arabic). Qatar Historical Encyclopedia. 28 April 2024. Retrieved 20 July 2024.
  8. ^ Abdul Nayeem, Muhammad (1998). Qatar Prehistory and Protohistory from the Most Ancient Times (Ca. 1,000,000 to End of B.C. Era). Hyderabad Publishers. p. 182. ISBN 9788185492049.
  9. ^ a b Abdul Nayeem (1998), p. 118.
  10. ^ De Cardi, Beatrice (1978). Qatar Archaeological Report. Excavations 1973. Oxford University Press. p. 80. ISBN 9780199200788.
  11. ^ Abdul Nayeem (1998), p. 197
  12. ^ Abdul Nayeem (1998), p. 211.
  13. ^ "History of Qatar" (PDF). www.qatarembassy.or.th. Ministry of Foreign Affairs. Qatar. London: Stacey International, 2000. Retrieved 9 January 2015.
  14. ^ Kapel, Holger (1967). Atlas of the stone-age cultures of Qatar. p. 12.
  15. ^ a b Casey, Paula; Vine, Peter (1991). The heritage of Qatar (print ed.). Immel Publishing. p. 17. ISBN 978-0907151500.
  16. ^ Rahman, Habibur (2006). The Emergence Of Qatar. Routledge. p. 33. ISBN 978-0710312136.