Map/Chart > The Persian Collection

The Harbour of El Biddah (Al Bidda, Doha, Qatar)

The earliest survey of Doha harbour, drawn in 1823

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Between 1821 and 1828 the Honourable East India company marine service, under the auspices of the British Admiraly undertook an extensive survey of the Arabian coastline. 

Amongst the men charged with this great task were Captain Philip Maughan (retired 1821) and Lieutenant John Guy of the Bombay Marine between in 1820 and 1825.  The survey was taken over by Lieutenant George Brucks assisted by Lieutenant Stafford Haines. Brucks and Haines are the names to appear on the majority of the charts completed in the period 1823 to 1827. The whole of the Arabian coast had been completed by April 1825. It was Guy and Brucks who surveyed what is now Doha on the Qatar coastline in 1823.  This being the first ever extensive survey of Doha.  The copy presented here is in the hand drawn copy made by Guy and Brucks. In his memoirs, published in 1856, Captain George Brucks makes the following observations:   Al Bidder Town is in lat. 25º 16’ 50” N., long. 51º 33’ E.  It is situated at the bottom of a harbour, formed by the reefs before mentioned.  The entrance is only half a mile wide, having three and four fathoms water in it in mid-channel, and rather less toward the northern reef, and towards the southern two fathoms.  As the shoals show themselves distinctly, to enter the harbour you must be guided by them, keeping rather nearer to the northern one.  The narrow part is not more than half a mile in length.  When through, steer for the town, and anchor abreast of the eastern tower, in three and a half fathoms, about half a mile off shore.  This place contains about four hundred Arabs of the Nahune, Dooasir, and Abookara Tribes, and is frequented by the Monasir and other wandering tribes.  In the pearl season the inhabitants are augmented to about twelve hundred, it being convenient to the banks, and so completely sheltered.  The people are mostly fishermen; they have one or two trading boats, and, like all other inhabitants of this coast, take a large share in the pearl fishery.  They are subject to Bahrein.  Cattle and poultry are procurable here, but they are very dear.  Water, pretty good, can also be procured.  The defences are a small Ghuree in the town, two or three towers, indifferent, and a Ghuree a mile to the north-westward of the town, on rising ground*   * Due east of Al Bidder, about 12 miles, is a small patch, with only a fathom and a half on it.  We travelled for it one whole day, but could not hit on it; a good look-out is necessary.   In the chart a dotted line shows the part within which it lies. What is perhaps most obvious in this simple survey is the location of the two original settlements, (with Doha being the more southerly of the two).  Anyone who knows modern day Doha will recognize that Al Bidda (modern spelling) is still a distinct district down by the souq on the cornishe.  The modern city is developing quickly to the north of the two towns as they were back in 1823 (over 190 years ago).  The 'Ghuree' Brucks mentions at the end of his memoir would, today, be just off West Bay and the Pearl development.  Al Safliya Island perhaps?..