| Ras Abrouq | |
| Native Name: | رأس أبروق |
| Native Name Lang: | ar |
| Pushpin Map: | Qatar |
| Pushpin Label Position: | above |
| Pushpin Map Caption: | Location in Qatar |
| Subdivision Type: | Country |
| Subdivision Name: |  Qatar |
| Subdivision Type1: | Municipality |
| Subdivision Name1: | Al-Shahaniya |
| Subdivision Type2: | Zone |
| Subdivision Name2: | Zone 72 |
| Subdivision Type3: | District no. |
| Subdivision Name3: | 203 |
| Unit Pref: | Imperial |
| Area Footnotes: | [1] |
| Area Total Km2: | 30.1 |
| Population Blank1 Title: | Ethnicities |
| Timezone: | AST |
| Utc Offset: | +3 |
| Coordinates: | 25.5781°N 50.8461°W |
Ras Abrouq (Arabic: رأس أبروق; also known as Bir Zekreet) is the northernmost extension of the Zekreet Peninsula, a stretch of land to the north of Dukhan in Qatar.[2] It has a beach of the same name[3] and various archaeological sites. Since the 21st century it has functioned as a tourist site.[3]
Large parts of its territory are legally protected areas that are dedicated to a nature reserve for wild deer.[4] Richard Serra's East-West/West-East sculpture was completed in Brouq Nature Reserve in 2014 at the behest of the Qatar Museums Authority.[5]
In Arabic, the word "ras" translates to "head", and in this context is used to refer to a cape. The other constituent, "abrouq", is derived from the nearby range of light-colored hills in the Zekreet Peninsula (also known as the Abrouq Peninsula).[2]
Its name is also spelled as Ras Broog.[2]
Ras Abrouq is a cape located on the tip of the Zekreet Peninsula near the city of Dukhan in western Qatar. It is 70 km west of the capital Doha.[6] It overlooks the Dawakhil Islands to the north, serving as a significant coastal landmark.[7] Located south of Ras Abrouq is the village of Zekreet.[2]
Geographically, it forms the northernmost point of the Dukhan region. The coastal area is relatively narrow, measuring about in width, in contrast to the wider sections of the Dukhan region further south.[7]
Ras Abrouq is one of the most extensive Neolithic sites in Qatar. It has one of the highest proportions of Ubaid potsherds in Qatar.[8] Excavations in the 1970s revealed a ring-like structure, hearths, Ubaid pottery, cairns, and stone tools dating to the Neolithic period. Many fish bones and snail shells were also recovered.[9] G.H. Smith, an excavator of the site, suggested that it was a seasonal encampment and that its inhabitants had trade relations with nearby civilizations.[9] [10]
Further archaeological excavations yielded Barbar ceramics originating from the Dilmun civilization dating to the third millennium BC.[11] A number of chambered cairns dating to the same period contained 108 beads made of stone and shell.[12]
Excavations conducted during the mid-20th century uncovered potsherds of Seleucid characteristic and a cairnfield consisting of 100 burial mounds dating to the 3rd century BC.[13] [14] The relatively large number of cairns suggest a sizable sea-faring community prevailed in the area during this period.[15]
Further excavations revealed a fishing station dating to c. 140 BC which was used by foreign vessels to dry fish during the Sasanian period.[16] A number of stone structures and large quantities of fish bones were recovered from the site.[15]