An experience to develop a web portal about the historical and archeological sites in qatar

Abstract

Qatar is located in the heart of the Arabian Peninsula. The country possesses many magnificent historical and archaeological sites which are the common heritage and history of the Arab and Muslim people. However, a little of these sites are known to Qatari new generations, tourists and new residents in the country. Umm Salal Mohammed, a ruin of a 19th Century Fort, Qalit Marir Fortress (Al Zubara) are just some of those important sites [7]. At Al Khor monuments archaeologists found artifacts from the Islamic Period (900-1400). By asking some people selected randomly from different malls and shop centers in Qatar, the majority ignore completely the existence of these archeological sites. Therefore, we must not allow these extraordinary monuments to sink into oblivion. We aim in this work to build an interactive web portal ensuring that Qatari antiquities are known to the majority of inhabitants and international tourists. The portal introduces the ancient history of Qatar to the world and will attract many new visitors and tourists. A content management system is used to develop the portal and manage its contents. A virtual tour software is used to develop virtual tours about the ancient Qatari sites. These interactive tours are deployed online through the web portal and available to the Internet Surfers. An informative question-answer tool about these sites is also developed and deployed online. 2011 IEEE.