Ras Abrouq

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]

Not to be confused with Zekreet.

Ras Abrouq

رأس أبروق
Sandstone cliffs at the cape
Ras Abrouq
Location in Qatar
Coordinates: 25°34′41″N 50°50′46″E
Country Qatar
MunicipalityAl-Shahaniya
ZoneZone 72
District no.203
Area
 • Total11.6 sq mi (30.1 km2)
Time zoneUTC+3 (AST)

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

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]

Location

Ras Abrouq is a cape located on the tip of the Zekreet Peninsula near the city of Dukhan. It is 70 km west of the Qatari capital of Doha.[6] Located south of Ras Abrouq is the village of Zekreet. [3]

Archaeology

Ras Abrouq is one of the most extensive Neolithic sites in Qatar. It has one of the highest proportions of Ubaid potsherds in Qatar.[7] 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.[8] 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.[8][9]

Further archaeological excavations yielded Barbar ceramics originating from the Dilmun civilization dating to the third millennium BC.[10] A number of chambered cairns dating to the same period contained 108 beads made of stone and shell.[11]

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.[12][13] The relatively large number of cairns suggest a sizable sea-faring community prevailed in the area during this period.[14]

Further excavations revealed a fishing station dating to c. 140 BC which was used by foreign vessels to dry fish during the Sasanian period.[15] A number of stone structures and large quantities of fish bones were recovered from the site.[14]

  • Ras Abrouq contains a high concentration of ostriches

References
  1. "District Area Map". Ministry of Development Planning and Statistics. Retrieved 13 March 2019.
  2. Natural Landmarks Archived 3 July 2015 at the Wayback Machine Qatar Tourism
  3. "Geographic Information System". Ministry of Development Planning and Statistics. 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. 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.
  8. Abdul Nayeem (1998), p. 118.
  9. De Cardi, Beatrice (1978). Qatar Archaeological Report. Excavations 1973. Oxford University Press. p. 80. ISBN 9780199200788.
  10. Abdul Nayeem (1998), p. 197
  11. Abdul Nayeem (1998), p. 211.
  12. "History of Qatar" (PDF). www.qatarembassy.or.th. Ministry of Foreign Affairs. Qatar. London: Stacey International, 2000. Retrieved 9 January 2015.
  13. Kapel, Holger (1967). Atlas of the stone-age cultures of Qatar. p. 12.
  14. Casey, Paula; Vine, Peter (1991). The heritage of Qatar (print ed.). Immel Publishing. p. 17. ISBN 978-0907151500.
  15. Rahman, Habibur (2006). The Emergence Of Qatar. Routledge. p. 33. ISBN 978-0710312136.
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