Barzan Towers

The Barzan towers stand at Umm Salal Mohammed north of Doha, built around 1910 by Sheikh Mohammed bin Jassim Al Thani, one rectangular and around sixteen metres high and the other lower, put up to guard the rainwater collection area below them and, according to the accounts given locally, to watch the moon for the start of Ramadan. Barzan means high place. They sit in a walled compound. A third, smaller tower stands a short distance off, and the group is usually treated as one site.

Background

The towers stand on Jebel Lusail, a low hill 15 kilometres north of Doha and about 10 kilometres inland from the coast. Built in the late 19th century, they were restored in 2003 and have served as a museum since. The walls, 1 metre thick at the base and braced by buttresses, are of coral stone and limestone set in mud mortar, as at Al Zubara Fort. Wooden marazim channels carry storm water away from the walls, guests were received in a majilis room set between the towers, and the roofs were built in four layers, using danchal wood poles, basgijl, strips of woven bamboo, mangrove mesh and compressed mud.

Source: Wikipedia, "Barzan Towers"

What's there

• The tall tower - the rectangular structure around sixteen metres high.
• The two forms - one high tower and one lower, differently built.
• The water ground - the rainwater collection area they were built to guard.
• The compound - the walled enclosure the towers stand in.

When to go

November to March is comfortable for the visit. The site keeps limited hours and interior access varies. Late afternoon light is best on the stone.

Before you go

Interior access is often closed and the visit is then exterior only. There is almost no interpretation on site. An hour is more than enough.

Nearby

Doha is south, and Al Khor is north.

Key facts