Al Matbakh Cape

The northern coast of Qatar faces shallow waters and pearl banks in the Persian Gulf. Divers gathered oysters from the seabed, bringing pearls ashore for trade among the gulf's ports. In the eighteenth century the Al Khalifa settled at Zubara on the peninsula's western coast, close to these valuable banks. Sandbars and reefs made knowledge of the coast essential to boats travelling between fishing grounds and settlements.