Al Khoor, Qatar

The City Al Khor or also spelled Al Khawr means "Sea on three sides" in Arabic. Older than Doha but far smaller in size (the whole municipality had a population of 31,000 according to the 2004 census) and importance, Al Khor is located an easy 50 kilometres from the capital city, to the north of Doha. This former pearl fishing centre is currently under renovation beautifully manicured flower beds greet you as you drive in from the desert, but the road alongside the Corniche is shut off and half the city seems to be being dug up.
History Al Khor goes back a long time, though habitation has not been continuous excavations have found remains dating back to between 5600 – 5300 BC, and pottery discovered has linked Al Khor to the Ubaid civilization. Three thousand or so years ago, on the island in the nearby bay of Khor Shaqiq, the Kassite civilization manufactured the royal colour of purple by crushing sea snails. See the History of Al Khor Island for more information.