Al Waqra Fort

Al Waqra Fort sits directly on the shoreline, a modest whitewashed structure that was built in the 19th century to protect the fishing and pearl diving community that once made its living here. The fort is small compared to Qatar's better-known fortifications, but its setting — sea on one side, the quiet village behind — is attractive, and the restoration has been done with restraint.

The pearl diving trade that sustained Waqra collapsed in the 1930s when Japanese cultured pearls arrived in the market and Qatari pearl prices never recovered. The fort's rooms are now empty, but the building itself is in good condition and freely accessible.

things to do sight
A story
Before oil, pearling was the economic foundation of every settlement on the Qatari coast. At its peak in the early 20th century, the pearl banks of the Arabian Gulf produced the finest natural pearls in the world, and the wealth they generated built the towns, mosques, and forts that still define the coastline. The industry collapsed so suddenly — within a decade of Japanese cultured pearl production beginning in the 1920s — that there was no time to adapt.