Also known as "The Brigands' Fort"
Not far from the desert rose depression is an area called Al
Asaila where there is a farm and a well. The name comes from the
Arabic word for honey – 'asal' – because the fresh water from the
well was said to taste as sweet as honey. Near the farm is an
isolated outlying, steep-sided plateau of limestone, crowned by the
ruins of a small fort plus associated buildings. The plateau is
easily defensible and commands a view of all the surrounding
landscape.
The first archaeologists to look at the structure were members
of the French Mission in 1976. They paid a brief visit and
hypothesised that the mound might have been occupied in Neolithic
times, although the buildings are clearly very much later. In 1988
Fran Gillespie was visiting the site with some archaeologists from
the local Department of Archaeology and Antiquities when an elderly
bedu shepherd came by with his flock. The old man stopped to chat
and said that, when he was a boy, his grandfather had told him that
when he was young the fort had been occupied by a marauding
tribe who frequently conducted raids [ghazzu] and robbed
anyone who ventured into the area. He also said that there was an
underground tunnel leading down from the top of the hill, and
showed the visitors where the entrance was supposed to have been,
but there is nothing visible now. If there ever was a tunnel it was
possibly to give the inhabitants of the fort access to water in the
event of being besieged. The substantial walls of the ruined fort
suggest that the occupants were well prepared for trouble!
In an open courtyard surrounded by the remains of walls is a
boulder with two circular cavities that were used for grinding and
pounding foodstuffs. It was in use for so long that the larger
cavity was worn right through the rock and made a hole in the
bottom!
The potsherds scattered around suggest an occupation date of
within the last 200 years, although people may have lived there on
and off for centuries. On a nearby plateau are numerous pre-Islamic
graves and burial cairns.
[From notes on Qatar Natural History Group website -
http://www.qnhg.org
This area is quite isolated and the terrain is rough. 4x4
vehicle recommended. The cache is located near the top of the
jebel. Caution is required as there are a lot of loose rocks and
steep cliffs. DO NOT leave children unattended. This area is well
worth a visit. There are 4 other caches in the surrounding area as
well.