Al Huwaila
Al Huwaila is an abandoned town in Qatar in the municipality of Al Shamal. Prior to the 18th century, and as perhaps as early as the 16th century, it served as Qatar's main town before its population migrated elsewhere.
Nearby areas include Jebel Jassassiyeh to the immediate west and Ras Laffan to the east.
Etymology
The town's name comes from the Arabic word tahawala, which is translated as "to divert". This name is due to the area's low elevation which allowed it to divert the flow of water from a nearby valley.History
Early history
records make the earliest known mention of Al Huwaila in 1555. The records state that, at that time, the Qatar Peninsula was ruled by Mohammed bin Sultan bani Muslim of the Al Musallam tribe and that he had his seat of power in Al Huwaila.Carsten Niebuhr made a map of Qatar in 1765, depicting the settlement for the first time as Huali.
Shortly after the founding of Zubarah in the 1760s by the Bani Utbah, the Al Musallam of Al Huwaila held nominal authority over that settlement and other northern settlements by taxing their residents. However, they were challenged by the Al Khalifa, who constructed Qal'at Murair in 1768 and began refusing to pay taxes. Following several successive skirmishes, the Al Khalifa launched a successful assault on Al Huwaila, leading to the flight of the Al Musallam leadership to Najd.
Battle of Al Huwaila
In the early 19th century, the settlement was the site of an internal conflict within the ruling Al Khalifa family of Bahrain. The incident, later known as the Battle of Al Huwaila, arose when three sons of Sheikh Abdullah bin Ahmad Al Khalifa broke from their father and took up residence in Al Huwaila. Their mother belonged to the powerful Al Bin Ali tribe, a prominent group in the region with considerable influence and resources.With the support of their maternal relatives, the three sons sought to challenge their father's authority and assert political autonomy. Sheikh Abdullah attempted to resolve the matter peacefully, warning his sons of the dangers of rebellion; however, his appeals were rejected. In response, Sheikh Abdullah instructed his nephew, Muhammad bin Khalifa bin Salman, to organize a military expedition against the dissident faction. Around 1820, Muhammad led a naval force from Bahrain and launched an attack on Al Huwaila. Following intense fighting, Sheikh Abdullah's sons were defeated and surrendered. They later sought their father's forgiveness, which was granted, and they returned to Bahrain. The incident forced Sheikh Abdullah to abandon a planned campaign toward Qatif and contributed to the loss of strategic territories such as Saihat.
Later 19th century
In the 1820s, George Barnes Brucks carried out the first British survey of the Persian Gulf. He recorded the following notes about Al Huwaila, which he referred to as Al Owhale:A survey conducted by the British Hydrographic Office in 1890 reflects on Al Huwaila's drastic decline during the mid-19th century, describing the town as such: