A rocky ridge (Jabal Al Jassasiya) close to the coast just 45 minutes’ drive north of Doha is the site of rock carvings thought to date back several thousand years. More than 900 carvings were first catalogued in 1974. Jabal Al Jassasiya is the most extensive of several sites in Qatar bearing rock carvings, and is considered to be the most significant.

This journey requires a 4WD vehicle. Take the Al Shamal (North) road towards Al Zubara. Pass the turnoff for Al Khor and turn right at the signpost for Fuwairit. Follow the tarmac road to a deserted village; select 4WD and head right into the desert. A few kilometers back down the coast lies a series of limestone jabals (hills), rising up to 7 m above the nearby shoreline.

The carvings are not immediately obvious, but with about 900 single carvings scattered around 580 sites, everyone should be able to make a “discovery” of some sort!