Unveiling the Secrets of Qatar’s Enigmatic Al Jassasiya Ancient Rock Art Site

Photo Source- Google.com

The Gulf country’s largest & most rock art site, is located on a desolate & windswept corner of Qatar’s northeastern coast.

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A British team of archaeologists working with locals found the rock carvings at Al Jassasiya only fairly recently in 1950 .

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The meaning of Al Jassasiya is “hill” or ‘the searchers’ in Arabic, likely used to observe ships, & the area is close to the abandoned town of Al Huwaila, a port that flourished between the 16 th & 18 th century.

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Perhaps the most important historic site in Qatar, the site has become a popular tourist destination.

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A total of some 900 rock carvings have been found by archaeologists, or “ petroglyphs”, at Al Jassasiya, mostly enigmatic cup marks arranged in various patterns, including rows & rosettes, but also eye-catching representations of sailing ships, among other symbols & signs.

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Historians have been helped by rock carvings to understand prehistoric people & mysterious cultures, & some of the most impressive rock carvings. In all of the Middle East are the Al Jassasiya rock carvings in Qatar.

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Although the creators & the meaning of the Al Jassasiya remain a mystery, they represent a high degree of creativity & observation skills of the artists who made them.

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Al Jassasiya ‘s history has little documentary evidence, & some have argued that the rock carvings were related to the pearl trade, while others believe that the age of the rock carvings is older by thousands of years.

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