Qatar is home to a “ghost town” that is a world away from the lavish expense of the World Cup.
Football fans have flocked to the Middle East to watch the game’s biggest stars at the 2022 tournament in Qatar, visiting the luxurious hotels, state of the art stadia and modern fan villages in the nation. However, on the north-west coast lies the abandoned village of Al Jumail, which offers a stark contrast to the World Cup host cities.
The village’s name is derived from the Arabic word “jameel”, which means beautiful and refers to the trees which can be found growing in the surrounding area.
READ MORE: England doomed vs France as psychic alpaca who has dismal record predicts Three Lions win
A former diving and fishing village near the Al Zubarah Fort, the houses that made up the old village are now reduced to ruins, meanwhile, the mosque still stands tall in the town.
The ground surrounding Al Jumail is also scattered with the remains of pottery and beads that were left behind when the population moved away.
It is understood that the area became abandoned during the second half of the 20th century after Qatar became an oil-rich nation in the 1970s.
Who will win the World Cup? Let us know in the comments section below
(Image: youtube/iLoveQatar)
(Image: youtube/iLoveQatar)
As a result of the economic boom in the country, the villagers’ trade began to suffer, causing them to relocate to more prosperous areas in the east of Qatar. The site where the village lied remains a protected site available for tourists to visit.
The village is located an hour-and-a-half drive from the capital city Doha and the glitz and glamour of the World Cup. Matches have been held in the west of Qatar, with four stadiums in Doha alone.
Elsewhere, venues are also located in nearby Al Rayyan, Al Khor, Lusail and Al Wakrah. There had been a proposal to build a stadium near to the abandoned Al Jumail village, though.
(Image: youtube/iLoveQatar)
(Image: youtube/iLoveQatar)
However, tournament organisers ultimately opted against plans to construct the 45,000 capacity Al-Shamal Stadium in the district of the same name. Designs for the proposed venue derived from the local fishing boats that had been used in villages such as Al Jumail.
The 2022 World Cup in Qatar is now into it’s latter stages, with only eight teams remaining ahead of this weekend’s quarter-finals. Amongst those sides still in the competition are England, who face France on Saturday for a place in the semi-finals.
READ NEXT: