For the past ten years, the Al Zubarah military fort in Qatar has been a museum. Beautifully renovated, it reflects the architectural tradition of the forts of the Gulf States. Built on a square plan, the building has a large enclosure with corners punctuated by three circular towers and a rectangular tower. Several cement and mud rooms display archaeological finds and objects dating from the pearl fishing era. There are kitchen utensils, diving weights for pearl fishermen, cannonballs, sandstone pipes, etc. In the large courtyard, a 10-metre deep well – dug by hand from very hard limestone – provided drinking water all year round. Now dry, it is safely barricaded.