15km west of Doha stand the remains of Al Wajba Fort, one of the oldest forts in the region. Originally built in the late 1700s, it was where the Battle of Al Wajbah played out in March 1893. At the time, Qatar was a province of the Ottoman Empire, and the battle occurred after Ottoman officials imprisoned 16 Qatari tribal leaders. The Ottomans were defeated by the army of Sheikh Jassim bin Mohammed Al Thani, who had refused to bend to Ottoman rule. A key part of the Sheikh’s winning strategy was to cut off the area's water supply. During its lifetime, the Al Wajba Fort has also been home to a number of sheikhs, including Hamad bin Abdullah Al Thani. It represents a truly authentic piece of Arabian social and political history.