Richard Serra's East-West/West-East installation in the Zekreet Peninsula

The Zekreet Peninsula, also known as the Abrouq Peninsula, is a peninsula in western Qatar, located to the north of the industrial city of Dukhan. Much of the area is associated with erosional landforms such as foothills, mesas and gypsum plateaux.[1] The village of Zekreet, the Zekreet Film City, and the headland of Ras Abrouq (which includes a nature reserve for wild deer)[2] are all found on this stretch of land.[3] The peninsula is part of the Al Reem Biosphere Reserve.[4]

Geography

One of its defining features is the Bay of Zekreet, which is shaped like a half-moon.[3]

Geology

An Arabian oryx in a rawda near Zekreet Film City

The Abarug Member of the Eocene-period Dammam Formation is the dominant structural-lithic unit of the area. The uppermost part of the Abarug Member is formed of dull-colored slightly calcareous dolomitic limestone and is roughly 2 m thick, while the lower part is approximately 10 m thick and comprises brightly-colored slightly calcareous dolomitic marl.[5]

Wildlife

Common ostriches, wild deer and gazelles occur in the peninsula.[6] The Ministry of Municipality and Environment advises tourists not to visit during the ostrich breeding season due to their aggressive tendencies.[7]

Flamingos are commonly found near the Bay of Zekreet.[8]

The peninsula is a popular destination for foreign tourists due to its unspoiled beaches and limestone rock formations. Visitors frequently camp here overnight.[2] However, some of the natural geography has suffered as a result of litter left behind, damage to the vegetation and damage to the land caused by tourists.[9]

References

  1. ↑ M. Richtzenhain; A. Al-Jaberi; B. Böer; M. Breulmann; F. Darwish; R. Dowling; J. Grainger; O. Llewellyn; K. Muhannadi; N. Pilcher; H. Schwarze; C. Southgate; M. Sutcliffe (2008). "Towards Environmentally Friendly Tourism in Arabian Biosphere Reserves; Case Study: Al Reem, Qatar". UNESCO Doha Office. p. 21. Retrieved 22 February 2019.
  2. 1 2 "Ras Abrouq Rock Formations". National Tourism Council (Qatar). Retrieved 22 February 2019.
  3. 1 2 "معالم (Landmarks)" (in Arabic). Ministry of Interior (Qatar). Retrieved 22 February 2019.
  4. ↑ "Biosphere Reserve Information: Al Reem". UNESCO - MAB Biosphere Reserves Directory. Retrieved 22 February 2019.
  5. ↑ Jacques Leblanc (March 2008). "A Fossil Hunting Guide To the Tertiary Formations of Qatar, Middle East". academia.edu. p. 23. Retrieved 22 February 2019.
  6. ↑ "Ras Abrouq Ramble". Qatar Natural History Group. 9 December 2009. Archived from the original on 31 January 2019.
  7. ↑ "Zekreet Beach". Online Qatar. Retrieved 22 February 2019.
  8. ↑ "The Road to Bir Zekreet". Marhaba Qatar. 9 August 2017. Retrieved 22 February 2019.
  9. ↑ Paul Sillitoe (1 August 2014). Sustainable Development: An Appraisal from the Gulf Region. Berghahn Books. p. 261. ISBN 978-1-78238-372-7.

25°34′N 50°51′E / 25.567°N 50.850°E / 25.567; 50.850

This article is issued from Wikipedia. The text is licensed under Creative Commons - Attribution - Sharealike. Additional terms may apply for the media files.