The Barzan Towers are located just in the suburbs of Doha in the village of Umm Slal Mohammed. The Towers, built between 1910 & 1916 by Sheikh Mohammed bin Jassim Al Thani, the founder of Umm Slal Mohammed village, are among the notable monuments of Qatar.

The western tower, the so-called Barzan Tower (‘Barzan’ means ‘the high place’), is almost 14 metres high, consists of three levels and, with its distinctive ‘T’ shape, is considered to be unique in its architectural style in the Gulf region. While the eastern tower, Al Burj Al Sharqi, has the same height and is also built with stones and cladded with mud, it exhibits the typical rectangular shape of other Qatari towers.

According to local oral traditions, the towers may have been used as a lookout to monitor the surrounding area with its water sources and wells. Other accounts describe the towers having been used as an observatory to determine the dates of the lunar calendar. Both Barzan Towers together with a madrasa and a mosque have recently been restored and are now situated in a garden with indigenous plants.