The archaeological remains of Al Zubarah have become Qatar's first World Heritage listed site.
(CNN) -- Qatar's youthful new ruler, Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad Al Thani, has acquired another jewel in his burgeoning crown. The archaeological site of Al Zubarah on the northern tip of the tiny Arab emirate has been added by UNESCO to its list of World Heritage sites.
The fortified ruins of the 18th century pearl fishing town will be Qatar's first world heritage site. The coastal town's exceptionally preserved remains provide an invaluable insight into the daily lives of the traders who populated the region in the 1700s.
The site in located on the north-easternmost side of the Arabian Peninsula that juts into the Persian Gulf.
The town flourished as a trading village for over a hundred years prior to its ultimate destruction in 1811. It was eventually completely abandoned in the early 1900s, but remains an important artifact offering insight into how life would have looked in the region prior its rapid expansion in the twentieth century.
Qatar was once one of the poorest states in the Gulf region but thanks to oil and gas reserves is now an economic powerhouse, with an influence that far outreaches its size.
Prior to the emirate's boom -- which has seen the construction of towering skyscrapers, state-of-the-art stadiums, gleaming hotels and expansive water parks -- the people who lived in Al Zubarah traded mainly in pearls. At its height, it is thought that the 400 hectare site was home to between 6,000 and 9,000 people. Today, Qatar is home to 1.9 million people.
The archaeological treasure was one of 19 new sites to be added to UNESCO's World Heritage list last month -- the top honor for monuments, buildings, sites or natural features "of outstanding universal value."
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The imposing Al Zubarah Fort was actually built in 1938 on the orders of Sheikh Abdulah bin Jassim Al Thani to protect Qatar's north-western coast.
Al Zubarah was once a thriving pearl fishing and trading port, and is one of the largest and best preserved examples of an 18th century merchant town anywhere in the Gulf.
The world heritage listing will be a valuable prize for the newly installed Qatari Crown Prince Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad bin Khalifa al-Thani, adding to the site's historical clout.
The 18th century town at Al Zubarah is well-planned with many of the streets running at right angles to one another and some neighborhoods built according to a strict grid pattern.
It location was perfect for 18th and 19th century merchant traders.
At its peak, Al Zubarah was host to between 6,000 and 9,000 citizens. Today Qatar's capital of Doha is home to over 1.3 million people.
Al Zubarah's economy was sustained by the pearl diving season which took place during the long summer months and drew in Bedouin from the interior of Qatar.
In the 18th century, a vast wall encircled the town and its bay in a 1.6 mile arc. The wall was defended by 22 semi-circular towers placed along the walls at regular intervals.
For the last hundred years a layer of sand has covered the site providing protection from the elements for the site's impeccably preserved courtyards, boulevards, palaces, and mosques.
UNESCO also added a number of other cultural sites to its list including six grand forts of India's Rajasthan state. Enclosed within defensive walls are major urban centers, palaces, trading centers and temples.
The historic sites of Kaesong city, in southern North Korea, include 12 separate components that highlight the history and culture of the Koryo Dynasty from the 10th to 14th centuries.
Built between the 15th and 17th centuries, the 12 villas and two gardens that make up Tuscany's Medici Villas and Gardens highlight an innovative system of rural construction in harmony with nature and dedicated to leisure, the arts and knowledge, says UNESCO.
The World Heritage Committee has decided to place the six World Heritage Sites of the Syrian Arab Republic on its "List of World Heritage in Danger" so as to draw attention to the risks they are facing because of the current situation in the country, says the committee.
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