393:
417:
405:
92:
365:
a mosque which has a prayer room that was also used as a school for teaching the Quran to children, called "madrassa". Traditional "marazims" protect the walls' surfaces and were built as wooden channels that stretch out from the roof to drain rainwater just in case heavy, but rare and uncommon, thunderstorms and other types of storms strike the desert. The "marazims" were built on top of the "majilis" and the mosque.
199:
176:
61:
76:
99:
364:
branches was added, followed by a layer of compressed mud to protect the towers from the sun during the hot summers. The towers were also built with some external features such as a room for receiving guests, called "majilis", which was built as an L-shaped pavilion with windows for ventilation, and
373:
Open on Sunday, Tuesday, Thursday: 9am-5pm; Friday: 12.30-5pm. Free admission, no tickets required. On the other hand, several surrounding landmarks, such as the house of Sheikh Jassim bin
Muhammed Al Thani, the Umm Salal Fortresses and other additional towers of the forts, are closed for visitors
272:
The buildings were restored in 2003. The towers measure 16 metres (52.49 ft) high. The fort links to two other fortified buildings towards the west and another tower towards the north. Barzan Towers may have been built near the sea to keep an observant eye on pearl divers, as a look-out for
304:, Mohammed remained weary of renewed military tensions. They were also used by the native Qataris to scrutinize the new moon during the holy month of Ramadan, since keeping track of the moon was essential. The towers were restored in 2003 by the Qatari authorities.
328:. On one side of the towers, huge, modern houses stand, while on the other, makeshift shacks exist. The former fortified house, or sometimes referred to as castle, of Sheikh Jassim bin Mohammed Al Thani is located beside the towers. A unique
344:. One tower has walls in the form of cones and massive and enormous staircases in the other. These walls were built by first merging and blending overlapping raw pieces of coral stones with limestone and cementing the two with a mud
392:
356:-based plaster once dry. The Barzan Towers have a roof that was built with four layers. The first layer is composed of a series of "danchal" wood poles, which were sometimes painted with
261:. They are located at the southern side of the defensive system established at the end of the 19th century and start of the 20th century to protect the 'rawdat', a valley where precious
284:" room between the towers to receive guests, and four-layer roofs with "danchal" wood pole construction, 'basgijl,' woven bamboo strips, mangrove mesh and a layer of compressed mud.
416:
613:
542:
650:
273:
approaching ships, and as an observatory for keeping track of the moon. The Barzan Towers have been rebuilt with features such as air-conditioners.
404:
360:
for protection. The "danchal" poles were then covered by a layer of "basgijl", a layer of woven bamboo strips. A carefully constructed net of
276:
Originally built with coral rock and limestone cementing the structures featured traditional Qatari design and building methods including "
623:
618:
508:
468:
117:
91:
340:
The Barzan Towers have walls which are one meter thick, especially in the base, and are further reinforced and toughened by
643:
293:
258:
568:
546:
737:
636:
185:
696:
301:
716:
742:
706:
398:
Date palms in the oasis near the Barzan Towers, showing signs of vegetation in the barren desert.
313:
50:
591:
345:
512:
472:
277:
711:
691:
242:
686:
681:
671:
297:
731:
300:
soldiers. Although his father had defeated the
Ottomans several years before in the
676:
443:
438:
349:
292:
The Barzan Towers were built in the late 19th century and were renovated by Sheikh
332:
full of green trees, animals and palm trees can also be found behind the towers.
312:
The Barzan Towers are situated on a low hill called Jebel Lusail in the town of
608:
254:
75:
132:
119:
317:
262:
54:
17:
280:" wooden to drain rainwater during storms away from the building walls, a "
361:
348:
after, which is somehow, similar to the construction of the walls of the
341:
257:
that were built in the late 19th century and renovated in 1910 by Sheikh
592:"Traditional Architecture of the Arabian Gulf: Building on Desert Tides"
357:
296:
in the early 20th century to serve as watchtowers against the incoming
281:
433:
353:
266:
230:
660:
329:
325:
204:
181:
66:
628:
321:
320:
that is about 10 km from the coast and 15 km north of
632:
422:
Umm Salal
Muhammed Fort. In Arabic barzan means "high place".
265:
is collected when it flows down from higher ground. In
223:
215:
210:
191:
169:
164:
156:
148:
111:
32:
410:Barzan Tower (with cones), viewed from the side.
503:
501:
499:
497:
495:
493:
491:
489:
463:
461:
459:
644:
8:
651:
637:
629:
29:
543:"Barzan Towers :: Explore-Qatar.com"
537:
535:
533:
531:
529:
509:"Forts :: Qatar Tourism Authority"
455:
388:
511:. Qatartourism.gov.qa. Archived from
352:. The walls were then covered with a
98:
7:
545:. Explore-qatar.com. Archived from
246:
471:. Qatarvisitor.com. Archived from
384:Click on the thumbnail to enlarge.
25:
374:since they are private property.
249:"High Place"), also known as the
184:Government; Ministry of Tourism,
415:
403:
391:
197:
174:
97:
90:
74:
59:
80:Barzan Tower (with staircases).
469:"Barzan Towers: Qatar Visitor"
251:Umm Salal Mohammed Fort Towers
43:Umm Salal Mohammed Fort Towers
1:
269:"barzan" means "high place".
27:Group of watchtowers in Qatar
571:(in Arabic). Asharq Al Awsat
569:"أم صلال محمد.. تاريخ وتراث"
294:Mohammed bin Jassim Al Thani
259:Mohammed bin Jassim Al Thani
609:Video of Barzan Towers site
567:Zahi Hawass (30 May 2013).
195:Late 19th century–present:
759:
590:R. Hawker (10 June 2008).
667:
594:. WIT Press. p. 148.
316:, in the municipality of
85:
73:
48:
37:
619:Qatar Tourism Authority
614:Qatar Museums Authority
186:Qatar Museums Authority
133:25.418024°N 51.413094°E
324:, the capital city of
227:1910–2003: Watchtowers
160:16 m (52 ft)
152:Historical Watchtowers
138:25.418024; 51.413094
302:Battle of Al Wajbah
129: /
314:Umm Salal Mohammed
192:Controlled by
51:Umm Salal Mohammed
725:
724:
386:
236:
235:
219:Late 19th century
16:(Redirected from
750:
653:
646:
639:
630:
596:
595:
587:
581:
580:
578:
576:
564:
558:
557:
555:
554:
539:
524:
523:
521:
520:
505:
484:
483:
481:
480:
465:
419:
407:
395:
382:
248:
203:
201:
200:
180:
178:
177:
165:Site information
144:
143:
141:
140:
139:
134:
130:
127:
126:
125:
122:
101:
100:
94:
78:
69:
65:
63:
62:
30:
21:
758:
757:
753:
752:
751:
749:
748:
747:
728:
727:
726:
721:
697:Ath Thaqab Fort
692:Ar Rakiyat Fort
663:
657:
605:
600:
599:
589:
588:
584:
574:
572:
566:
565:
561:
552:
550:
541:
540:
527:
518:
516:
507:
506:
487:
478:
476:
467:
466:
457:
452:
430:
423:
420:
411:
408:
399:
396:
380:
371:
338:
310:
290:
228:
198:
196:
175:
173:
137:
135:
131:
128:
123:
120:
118:
116:
115:
107:
106:
105:
104:
103:
102:
81:
60:
58:
49:
44:
41:
40:
28:
23:
22:
15:
12:
11:
5:
756:
754:
746:
745:
740:
738:Forts in Qatar
730:
729:
723:
722:
720:
719:
714:
709:
704:
699:
694:
689:
687:Al Zubara Fort
684:
682:Al Wajbah Fort
679:
674:
672:Al Khor Towers
668:
665:
664:
658:
656:
655:
648:
641:
633:
627:
626:
621:
616:
611:
604:
603:External links
601:
598:
597:
582:
559:
525:
485:
454:
453:
451:
448:
447:
446:
441:
436:
429:
426:
425:
424:
421:
414:
412:
409:
402:
400:
397:
390:
379:
376:
370:
367:
337:
334:
309:
306:
289:
286:
234:
233:
229:2003–present:
225:
221:
220:
217:
213:
212:
208:
207:
193:
189:
188:
171:
167:
166:
162:
161:
158:
154:
153:
150:
146:
145:
113:
109:
108:
96:
95:
89:
88:
87:
86:
83:
82:
79:
71:
70:
46:
45:
42:
38:
35:
34:
26:
24:
14:
13:
10:
9:
6:
4:
3:
2:
755:
744:
741:
739:
736:
735:
733:
718:
715:
713:
712:Qal'at Murair
710:
708:
705:
703:
702:Barzan Towers
700:
698:
695:
693:
690:
688:
685:
683:
680:
678:
675:
673:
670:
669:
666:
662:
654:
649:
647:
642:
640:
635:
634:
631:
625:
624:Qatar Visitor
622:
620:
617:
615:
612:
610:
607:
606:
602:
593:
586:
583:
570:
563:
560:
549:on 2012-12-12
548:
544:
538:
536:
534:
532:
530:
526:
515:on 2012-06-17
514:
510:
504:
502:
500:
498:
496:
494:
492:
490:
486:
475:on 2012-10-24
474:
470:
464:
462:
460:
456:
449:
445:
442:
440:
437:
435:
432:
431:
427:
418:
413:
406:
401:
394:
389:
387:
385:
377:
375:
368:
366:
363:
359:
355:
351:
347:
343:
335:
333:
331:
327:
323:
319:
315:
307:
305:
303:
299:
295:
287:
285:
283:
279:
274:
270:
268:
264:
260:
256:
252:
244:
240:
239:Barzan Towers
232:
226:
222:
218:
214:
209:
206:
194:
190:
187:
183:
172:
168:
163:
159:
155:
151:
147:
142:
114:
110:
93:
84:
77:
72:
68:
56:
52:
47:
36:
31:
19:
717:Ruwayda Fort
701:
677:Al Koot Fort
585:
573:. Retrieved
562:
551:. Retrieved
547:the original
517:. Retrieved
513:the original
477:. Retrieved
473:the original
444:Zubarah Fort
439:Al Koot Fort
383:
381:
372:
350:Zubarah Fort
339:
311:
291:
275:
271:
250:
238:
237:
211:Site history
33:Barzan Tower
18:Barzan Tower
707:Murwab Fort
255:watchtowers
224:In use
136: /
112:Coordinates
732:Categories
553:2012-11-16
519:2012-11-16
479:2012-11-16
450:References
342:buttresses
124:51°24′47″E
121:25°25′05″N
743:Umm Salal
659:Forts in
336:Structure
318:Umm Salal
308:Geography
263:rainwater
247:برج برزان
55:Umm Salal
39:برج برزان
428:See also
369:Schedule
362:mangrove
575:29 July
378:Gallery
358:bitumen
298:Ottoman
288:History
282:majilis
278:marazim
434:Lusail
354:gypsum
346:mortar
267:Arabic
253:, are
243:Arabic
231:Museum
202:
182:Qatari
179:
157:Height
64:
661:Qatar
330:oasis
326:Qatar
216:Built
205:Qatar
170:Owner
67:Qatar
577:2015
322:Doha
149:Type
734::
528:^
488:^
458:^
245::
57:,
53:,
652:e
645:t
638:v
579:.
556:.
522:.
482:.
241:(
20:)
Text is available under the Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike License. Additional terms may apply.