Murwab Archaeological Site

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Murwab, northwest Qatar, about 15 km north of Dukhan Website
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In short

Murwab, about 15 km north of Dukhan in north-west Qatar, is the country's largest early Islamic settlement, with some 45 houses, two mosques and the oldest Islamic fort found in Qatar, all from the late 8th and 9th centuries. The site is closed to visitors; researchers can ask Qatar Museums for access. Travellers in the region can see the ticketed Al Zubarah site nearby.

Murwab is an early Islamic village of the late 8th and 9th centuries in north-west Qatar, about 15 km north of Dukhan, and holds the oldest Islamic fort found in the country. It is not open to the public, so this page serves readers and researchers; travellers in the region can walk the ticketed Al Zubarah site instead.

The site lies in northwest Qatar, about 10 kilometres inland from the west coast, where green depressions called rawdah and shallow wells made settlement possible. Its remains stretch more than 1.5 kilometres from east to west. Qatar Museums dates the settlement from the end of the 8th to the end of the 9th century, the early Abbasid period, when the caliphate was ruled from Iraq.

Excavations and studies at Murwab have continued since 1959. They show a planned village of about 220 rooms grouped into roughly 45 houses, with two mosques and a cemetery. Most of the houses were built of local stone around small courtyards.

Murwab Fort, dated to the 8th century, is the oldest Islamic fort discovered in Qatar. Overlapping foundation walls show two phases of occupation: the first fort was rebuilt later in a reduced size.

Finds of ceramics, glass and bronze show that this small desert settlement was tied into the long-distance trade of the early Abbasid world. Goods arrived through networks reaching Central Asia by way of Iran and Iraq, while Gulf shipping linked the region with India, Southeast Asia and China.

Qatar Museums states that the site is not accessible to the public, and there is no ticket office or visitor facility. Researchers and groups with a specific interest should contact Qatar Museums. To walk through an excavated historic town in the same part of the country, Al Zubarah to the north is open with a ticket.

A Danish expedition led by Geoffrey Bibby identified the site in 1959. A French team dug there in 1984, and from 2009 a project led by Alexandrine Guérin recorded thousands of pottery fragments, most dated between about 805 and 885. The village was abandoned in the late 9th century.

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  1. Qatar Museums: Murwab Archaeological Site
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Key information
🏛️Type: Largest known early Islamic settlement in north-west Qatar
📍Location: About 15 km north of Dukhan, inland from the west coast
⛏️Date: Late 8th – late 9th century (early Abbasid period)
🏚️Remains: About 220 rooms in some 45 houses, two mosques, a cemetery and the oldest Islamic fort found in Qatar
🔎Discovered: Identified in 1959 by a Danish team led by Geoffrey Bibby
🕕Time Zone: Arabia Standard Time (UTC+3)
🏛Managed by: Qatar Museums

Explore the area

View in a map
Dukhan 15 km
Zekreet Fort 25 km
Ras Abrouq 30 km
Al Zubarah (open with tickets) 35 km
Umm Bab Beach 45 km
See all about this area
✦ Plan your visit to Murwab Archaeological Site Dates, opening hours and how to get there are below. Booking ahead secures your preferred day.
Highlights Include:
Excavated remains
  • Rectangular fort with a central courtyard and twelve rooms
  • Courtyard houses of stone
  • Two mosques and a cemetery
Finds
  • Pottery from about 805–885
  • Glass and bronze objects
  • Evidence of trade with Iraq, Iran, Central Asia, India and China
Visit instead
  • Al Zubarah UNESCO site (open)
  • Qatar Museums exhibitions on early Islamic Qatar
What They Offer
Access Not open to the public; contact Qatar Museums
Research Excavations by Danish, French and Qatari teams since 1959
Alternative Al Zubarah Archaeological Site, open with free tickets
Visit duration Not open to visitors
Timed entry required No

Accessibility

Not open to the public.

Age limits

No age rules are published, since no visitors are admitted.

What to pack

Nothing for the site itself; on a west coast day out, carry water and sun protection.

What to wear

Qatar Museums publishes no dress code for Murwab.

Not allowed

Entering the site without permission from Qatar Museums

Amenities

None.

Tips for visiting Murwab Archaeological Site

  • Check with Qatar Museums before travelling, as the site is listed as closed to the public.
  • Visit Al Zubarah Archaeological Site for an open heritage site in the same region.
  • Never remove pottery or stones from archaeological sites in Qatar, which is an offence under the antiquities law.
  • Use a 4x4 for desert tracks in the northwest and carry water.
  • Look for Murwab finds in Qatar Museums exhibitions in Doha.

Admission tickets

Prices and how to get tickets.

Murwab: No Public Access

The site is not open to visitors and no tickets are sold.

  • No public entry
Ticket prices

Ticket prices are not confirmed yet. Check the official website or send us an enquiry.

Opening hours

Closed now · Closed · Last entry No public access

All opening hours

Visitor policy

Check availability
Cancellation and prepayment
Not applicable.
Children and admission
Children cannot enter the excavations, as with all visitors.
Groups
Research groups should contact Qatar Museums.
Pets
Not covered by any published rule.
Photography
On-site photography would need special access arranged with Qatar Museums.
Bags
There is no entrance or bag check.
Smoking
Not applicable while the excavations stay closed.
Accepted payment
No payment: the site is not open.
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Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)

Answers based on Qatar Museums information.

General

Qatar Museums dates Murwab from the end of the 8th to the end of the 9th century. Most potsherds recovered there date from about 805 to 885. The settlement was abandoned in the late 9th century.