Al Zubarah Archaeological Site Inaugurated

Doha, December 14 (QNA) - Under the auspices of HE Sheikha Mayassa bint Hamad Al Thani, Chairperson of the Board of Trustees of the Qatar Museums Authority(QMA), HE Abdullah Bin Khalifa Al-Attiyah, member of the Board of Trustees has inaugurated Al Zubarah Archaeological site , in the presence of a number of officials and ambassadors accredited to the State . The celebration was held on the occasion of the inclusion of Al Zubarah Archaeological in the UNESCO list of World Heritage sites, which was made on June 22, during the 37th meeting of the World Heritage Committee of the United Nations Organization for Education, Science and Culture (UNESCO), as the first recognition of the annexation of a Qatari archaeological site in an international registry, which now includes 911 natural and cultural sites The UNESCO World Heritage Committee includes representatives of 21 countries, and its members are to be appointed by the General Assembly of the Committee for four years. The members have the power to vote on the inclusion of cultural and natural sites which are raised by another Member State of UNESCO. Faisal Al Nuaimi, Chairman of the Department of Archaeology of the Qatar Museums Authority said the opening of Al Zubarah Archaeological site represents an important moment for the heritage of Qatar, pointing out that the opening of the site is an opportunity for citizens and residents to learn about the Qatar heritage in a tangible way. Sheikh Faisal al-Thani, Maersk Oil Qatars deputy managing director, said: "We are delighted to be supporting the Qatar Museums Authority at Al Zubarah and to be providing a meaningful contribution to Qatars development and knowledge of its history. This is another pleasing example of how Maersk Oil Qatars social investment programme, Action for Qatar, is helping the country as a whole." Al Zubarah Archaeological Site, one of the largest and best-preserved examples of an 18th-19th century traditional pearl fishing and merchant town in the Gulf, It is situated about 100 km north-west of Doha. Founded in the mid-18th century, the town developed into a centre of the pearling and international trade and rose to become the countrys largest and most important settlement. it was abandoned by the mid-20th century. Al Zubarah Archaeological Site covers an area of 60 hectares with remains of houses, mosques, large fortified buildings and a market.(QNA)