Lehsain
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Lehsain
لحصين | |
|---|---|
Abandoned village | |
  Lehsain Location in Qatar | |
| Coordinates: 25°32′22″N 50°56′18″E / 25.53943°N 50.93837°E | |
| Country |  Qatar |
| Municipality | Al-Shahaniya |
| Zone | Zone 72 |
| District no. | 193 |
| Area | |
• Total | 6.4 sq mi (16.5 km2) |
Lehsain (Arabic: لحصين; also spelled Al-Hussayn and Al Husain) is an abandoned village in Qatar located in the municipality of Al-Shahaniya.[2] The area is characterized by an abundance of gravel, dense clusters of trees, and wild herbs. Lehsayn encompasses the architectural ruins of a village and a fort (Qasr Lehsain), a mud depression, and remnants of wells and seasonal agricultural activities. The term "Al-Husayn" is a diminutive form of the word for "fort" in Arabic.[3]
Lehsain is located approximately 65 kilometres (40 mi) from the capital Doha. It is roughly 3 kilometres (1.9 mi) from the coastal entry to the area referred to as Doha Al-Hussein and approximately 10 kilometres (6.2 mi) southwest of the village of Zekreet.[3]
In J.G. Lorimer's Gazetteer of the Persian Gulf written in the early 1900s, he makes mention of Dōhat-Al-Hasain, noting its location as "halfway down the west side of Qatar", and describes it as a large bay that runs inland in a southerly direction. He goes on to state:[4]
"The foot of it is called Dōhat Faishshākh. It contains Jazīrat Abū Falītah, and Rās Aburūk forms the western side of its entrance. Rās-as-Sumaiyah projects into it from its eastern side. On the west side of the bay are the ruins of a fort which was built by Rahmah-bin-Jabir early in the 19th century. There are 4 or 5 masonry wells of brackish water near the site of the fort."
Archaeology
Numerous Neolithic settlements have been uncovered on Qatar's west coast in the Zekreet Peninsula and Dukhan region. During the British archaeological expedition of Qatar in 1973–74 led by Beatrice de Cardi, Neolithic-era stone cutters were found in Lehsain. They closely resemble other tools belonging to the Mousterian industry, but archaeologist G. H. Smith of the British expedition suggested that this industry could be unique to Qatar.[5]
