Purple Island (Bin Ghannam Island)

About this place

Bin Ghannam Island, widely called Purple Island, combines mangroves and tidal channels with evidence of ancient industry. Archaeologists found large quantities of murex shells used to make purple dye, linking the site with production and exchange as early as the second millennium BCE. It also served at different times as a temporary camp for fishermen and pearl divers. The wooden approach and low hills allow visitors to view both habitat and archaeology. The visit is most rewarding when connected with Qatar's long dependence on the sea. Look for evidence of fishing, pearling, boat building, navigation, coastal trade and the communities that worked between desert and shoreline. The landscape and tides are part of the history, so use marked routes, protect wildlife and archaeological traces, and carry water and sun protection. Together, the natural setting and human remains explain why coastal places were central to settlement before oil.