The Emiri Court is the seat of government for the State of Qatar. It is the sovereign body and the administrative office of His Highness the Emir, and it acts as a link between the Emir and all governmental and non-governmental bodies internally and externally. The Amiri Diwan was initially known as Al-Bida’ Castle, which was originally a fortress built by watchtowers and fortified in the eighteenth century, and during the Ottoman presence (1871-1915 AD), the castle was known as the Military Castle (Al-Askar Castle). After the departure of the Ottomans, Sheikh Abdullah bin Jassim, the ruler of Qatar at the time, restored the castle to later become the seat of the rulers of Qatar, and changed its name to Doha Palace. Then, in 1971 AD, after the end of the Anglo-Qatari Treaty of 1916 AD, the title of Ruler of the State was changed Qatar to the Emir, and the name of the castle was changed to the Emiri Diwan.