Al Wakrah
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Al-Wakrah الوكرة |
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| City | |||
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 Al-Wakrah
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| Coordinates (Al Wakrah): 25°10′48″N 51°36′36″E / 25.18000°N 51.61000°ECoordinates: 25°10′48″N 51°36′36″E / 25.18000°N 51.61000°E | |||
| Country |
 Qatar
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| Municipality | Al Wakrah Municipality | ||
| Area | |||
| • Total | 66.3 km2 (25.6 sq mi) | ||
| Population (2010) | |||
| • Total | 79,457 | ||
| • Density | 1,200/km2 (3,100/sq mi) | ||
| Time zone | East Africa Time (UTC+03) | ||
| ISO 3166 code | QA-WA | ||
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Al-Wakrah (also spelled Al Wakra) (Arabic: الوكرة) is the capital city of the Al Wakrah Municipality in Qatar. Al Wakrah's eastern edge is the shores of the Persian Gulf. Governed by Sheikh Abdulrahman bin Jassim Al Thani, it was originally a small fishing and pearling village. Over the years, it evolved into a big town with a population of more than 30,000 and it is considered to be one of the major cities in Qatar.
Due to a wealth of archaeological evidence, it has been claimed that Al Wakrah served as the first urban centre of Qatar. The city was historically used as a pearling center during the period in which Qatar's economy was almost entirely dependent on the bustling pearling industry. According to the United States Hydrographic Office, by 1920, there were approximately 300 ships situated in the town. A following study carried out by the British in 1925 stated that there were 250 boats in Wakrah's port. Al Wakrah was thought to encompass the so-called 'Pirate Coast', as stated by a report written in 1898.
According to records contained in the British India Library Office, a written account dating to 1845 states that the town accommodated 250 houses and had a population of roughly 1,000. It was said to be located 10 miles away from one of Qatar's then-primary pearling villages, Al Bidda. The records also stated that the town's original inhabitants were migrants from Al Bidda. Al Wakrah was described as "independent of Bidda and other towns; and as thriving and more cheerful in appearance than Bidda, to which it was equal in size".
In 1863, the Bahraini ruler Mohammed bin Khalifa sent his cousin Mohammed bin Ahmed to act as deputy emir of Qatar. He was soon compelled by the Qataris to return to Bahrain after arresting and deporting the ruler of Al Wakrah. In 1867, Bahrain launched a war against Qatar after the Naim tribe defeated the Bahraini army situated in the Peninsula. They succeeded in gaining support from Abu Dhabi, as Doha and Al Wakrah have long been harbors of refuge for Omani seceders. As a result, Al Wakrah was sacked by the combined Bahraini and Abu Dhabi forces. A British record later stated "that the towns of Dohah and Wakrah were, at the end of 1867 temporarily blotted out of existence, the houses being dismantled and the inhabitants deported".
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