Al Khor Towers

The Al Khor Towers are three barrel-shaped watchtowers of mud and stone built around 1900 on the coast of Al Khor, a fishing town about 50 km north of Doha in Qatar. They are free outdoor monuments, and an hour covers all three together with a stroll on the Al Khor Corniche.

Al Khor lies on Qatar's northeast coast, about 50 to 57 kilometres north of Doha, depending on the route. In the early 20th century it was a fishing and pearling town, and its harbour is still full of fishing boats. Fresh water was scarce, and the settlement depended on the Ain Hleetan well, which local belief credited with healing powers.

Around 1900 the townspeople built three defensive watchtowers along the coast. Guards in the towers could see ships approaching the harbour and keep watch over the well, the main lifeline of the settlement. They belong to a wider group of small forts and towers across Qatar that protected water sources.

Each tower is barrel-shaped and about 8 metres tall, with walls roughly 60 centimetres thick built of mud mixed with local stone. Arrow-shaped designs are carved into the parapets, and small openings near the top let defenders drop or throw projectiles on attackers. Guards needed ropes to reach the top.

The towers stand apart from one another near the shore, and a walk or short drive links them with the Al Khor Corniche, a seafront promenade of about 28,000 square metres, and the busy fishing harbour.

The towers are outdoor monuments with no ticket or fee, and visitors see them from outside. Late afternoon, when the corniche fills with families and the light turns warm on the mud walls, is the best time. Allow about an hour for the three towers, and combine them with Purple Island and the Al Thakhira mangroves nearby.

The drive from Doha takes about 45 minutes on Al Khor Coastal Road or Al Shamal Road, and there is street parking near each tower. Mowasalat buses run between Doha and Al Khor, but a car or taxi is easier for reaching all three. The towers have no facilities of their own; cafés, restaurants and restrooms line Al Khor Corniche, and the Al Khor Museum is 1.5 km away. Climbing the towers is not allowed, and November to March is the most comfortable season.

Al Khor means creek, after the inlet the town grew around. Visit Qatar dates its founding by the Al Muhannadi tribe to the mid-18th century and the Ain Hleetan Well to the 19th, when a water source was found near the coast. Just over 30,000 people live here today, many working in oil and gas. The free Al Khor Archaeological Museum on the Corniche covers fishing, pearl diving and boatbuilding and holds geological maps of Qatar over the past 120,000 years. Without a car, take the Doha Metro to Lusail and continue by bus.