Al Jumail Explained

Official Name:Al Jumail
Native Name:اَلْجُمَيْل
Native Name Lang:ar
Settlement Type:Abandoned town
Pushpin Map:Qatar
Pushpin Label Position:bottom
Pushpin Map Caption:Location in Qatar
Pushpin Mapsize:200
Subdivision Type:Country
Subdivision Name: Qatar
Subdivision Type1:Municipality
Subdivision Name1:Al Shamal
Subdivision Type2:Zone
Subdivision Name2:Zone 78
Subdivision Type3:District no.
Subdivision Name3:395
Unit Pref:Imperial
Area Footnotes:[1]
Area Total Km2:6.0
Population Blank1 Title:Ethnicities
Population Blank2 Title:Religions
Coordinates:26.0997°N 51.1611°W
Coordinates Footnotes:[2]

Al Jumail (Arabic: اَلْجُمَيْل) is an abandoned village in north-east Qatar located in the municipality of Al Shamal.[3] [4] It was an important town in the northern peninsula prior to the 21st century.

Nearby settlements include Ruwayda to the south-west and Yusufiyah and Abu Dhalouf to the north.

Etymology

The town's name comes from the Arabic word "jameel", which means "beautiful"; a reference to the trees that grow in the area year-round.[4]

Various alternative transliterations of the name are used, such as Al Jemail, Al Jamil,[2] Lumail,[5] and Yamail.[6]

History

In the 1820s, George Barnes Brucks was tasked with preparing the first British survey of the Persian Gulf.[7] He documented Al Jumail in this survey, referring to it as "Yamale" and concisely stating that "Yamale, in lat. 26° 5' 40" N., long. 51° 14' E., is a small village."[8]

In J.G. Lorimer's Gazetteer of the Persian Gulf written in the early 1900s, he makes mention of Jumail, noting its location as "midway between Abu Dhalouf and Khor Hassan", and states that it is also called Yamail or Lumail. He goes on to state that there are remains of houses and a fort.[9]

Geography

Al Jumail is situated along Qatar's northern region. The coastline near Al Jumail includes various water inlets, both circular and elongated in shape. The area between Al Jumail and Ar Ru'ays is characterized by a narrowing of the coastal strip. This contrasts with the wider coastal areas found to the east. As part of the northern coastal plain region of Qatar, the surrounding area is notable for its flat terrain and lacks complex topographical features.[10]

Notes and References

  1. Web site: District Area Map. Ministry of Development Planning and Statistics. 20 May 2019.
  2. Web site: Al-Jamil: Qatar. geographic.org. 19 January 2019.
  3. Web site: Qatar Development Atlas - Part 1. Ministry of Development Planning and Statistics. 10. 2010. 19 January 2019. 18 July 2020. https://web.archive.org/web/20200718123122/https://www.mdps.gov.qa/en/statistics/Documents/Qatlas-Part-1.pdf. dead.
  4. Web site: Geoportal. The Centre for Geographic Information Systems of Qatar. 18 January 2019. 24 November 2020. https://web.archive.org/web/20201124143437/https://geoportal.gisqatar.org.qa/qmape/index.html. dead.
  5. Web site: Lumail: Qatar. geographic.org. 28 February 2019.
  6. Web site: Yamail: Qatar. geographic.org. 28 February 2019.
  7. Web site: George Barnes Brucks and the First English Survey of the Gulf . Qatar Digital Library. Mark Hobbs . 19 January 2019.
  8. Web site: G.B. Brucks . Robert Hughes Thomas . Historical and other information connected with place in the Persian Gulf . Bombay Education Society's Press . 562 . 1856. This article incorporates text from this source, which is in the public domain.
  9. Web site: 'Gazetteer of Arabia Vol. II' [1497] (570/688)]. Qatar Digital Library. 2 June 2024.
  10. Web site: طبوغرافية شبه جزيرة قطر. Qatar Historical Encyclopedia. Arabic. 28 April 2024. 20 July 2024.