Would you like to learn more about Qatar’s culture and traditions during your vacation? Then we have just the thing for you! We’ll show you which cultural highlights you must see during your stay. Read on for valuable tips on special sights, exciting galleries and the rich culture of the emirate on the coast of the Arabian Gulf.
Explore the “desert rose” – the National Museum of Qatar
For the perfect introduction to the Qatari culture and traditions look no further than the National Museum of Qatar. The building’s wafer-like interlocking discs are inspired by the delicate formations of the desert rose crystal. Leave plenty of time to “ooh” and “ahh” at the building’s exquisite exterior and to wander in and amongst those shell-like discs.
Inside, Qatar’s story unfolds across 11 engaging galleries and immersive digital footage drawing on the country’s Bedouin heritage. The connection between the sea and desert sets modern-day Qatar in context. Exhibits include ancient scripts, archaeologic artefacts and prized pieces of pearl jewellery.
TIP: The Qatar Cultural Pass gives access to five museums and is perfect for longer stays!
Step inside a heritage house in Msheireb
It might look shiny and new but Msheireb is one of Doha’s oldest neighbourhoods. Msheireb Museums brings to life key periods in the city’s evolution by inviting visitors inside four heritage houses – each house built in traditional Qatari style, with collonaded courtyards.
Set within a house once used as the headquarters for Qatar’s first oil company, Company House tells the story of the pioneering Qatari petroleum industry. In Mohammed Bin Jassim House you’ll discover how narrow sikka alleyways developed as houses were built on either side, and how they converged onto an open-air town square, or baraha. Hear former residents speak of Msheireb as the home to Qatar’s first hotel, first bank, first pharmacy and first cafés.
World-class art in a dazzling waterfront setting
Designed by Chinese-American architect IM Pei, the Museum of Islamic Art is another of Qatar’s top-ranking cultural gems. Its angular limestone exterior acts as a canvas for the ever-changing light and shade. Inside the light-drenched building, a soaring dome-topped atrium and acres of white space provide an elegant backdrop for a world-class collection of ceramics, jewellery, woodwork, ancient script, textiles and masterpieces of Islamic art. Stand-outs are many but try to see the Planispheric Astrolabe, one of the world’s first navigational tools, and the Carved Emerald Plaque, adorned with a sizeable emerald from the 16th century.
TIP: With the Qatar Cultural Pass you can also access this museum!
Art at the Souq
It’s easy to get distracted at Souq Waqif so before you start exploring make a beeline for the souq’s Art Centre where sculptors, painters, potters, calligraphers, weavers and ceramicists display their work among graceful Arabesque arches inlaid with mosaic tile. It’s a great place to meet local artists, especially if there is a workshop going on.
Katara Cultural Village
Whether you come to dine, admire a pair of spectacular mosques or peruse small museums and art galleries this bustling dining, cultural and shopping hub has something for everyone. Shimmering in its coat of golden tiles it’s hard to miss the Golden Mosque. Just as eye-catching is Katara Mosque, clad in Persian blue and Turkish tile and embossed in shades of blue and gold. Its pretty minaret almost steals the show.
Tucked in between the alleyways of Katara, the Qatar Museum Gallery showcases local and international artists, while Katara Art Centre (KAC) acts as a hub for emerging cultural communities. Also check out the two oblong pigeon towers with holes and perches for pigeons and if you’re feeling energetic, the panoramic views at the top of the amphitheatre won’t disappoint (62 steps).
Archaeological treasures and modern marvels
Leave the city behind and head for the walled coastal town of Al Zubarah, in Qatar’s northwest desert. Established as a pearling and trading centre in the late 18th and early 19th centuries the UNESCO-protected site was built within solid defensive walls and brings past glories to life with the remains of mosques, palaces, streets, houses and cemeteries.
Combine Al Zubarah with a visit to the nearby Al Rekayat Fort and the startlingly modern work of Icelandic-Danish artist Olafur Eliasson. Titled Shadows Traveling on the Sea of the Day, it is best seen not in a photo, but in its magnificent desert setting.
Contemporary art in the Fire Station Doha
For a flavour of Qatar’s contemporary art scene, and some Insta-worthy murals to boot, head to the Fire Station Doha. This contemporary art space supports artists and curators through its various residency programmes. There are studios, galleries, workspaces, a fabrication lab and the Fire Station Cinema and Café 999, which has an Italian menu. You can find it near Al Bidda Park.
Seaside market in Al Wakrah
Al Wakrah is Qatar’s second oldest city and was built on the ruins of the old town on the eastern side of Al Wakrah beach. This is where you’ll find the Al Wakrah Old Souq, slap bang in front of the port where sailors and merchants once traded pearls.
Among the tightly wadded streets, you will find oud and Arabian perfume shops and markets for herbs and spices, gold, birds and fish. The beach is popular for fishing and swimming and restaurants, cafes and ice-cream stalls hug the beachfront. You can discover all of this only half an hour from Doha.
Read all about it in Education City
There are two great reasons to visit Education City. The first is to admire its startlingly modern Education Mosque which features two extraordinary “ski jump” minarets, adorned with calligraphy.
The second is to see what must be one of the world’s coolest libraries. The Qatar National Library was designed by the world-renowned architect Rem Koolhaas. Its open-plan light-drenched interior feels like the spaceship. Marble bookshelves rise in neat rows from the floor, students relax in swing chairs and there’s a café serving coffee and snacks. The piece de resistance is a climate-controlled heritage library showcasing a collection of rare Arabic manuscripts, atlases, historical photographs and instruments.
Tour the mosque and visit the Islamic Cultural Centre
Qatar has many beautiful mosques but none is quite as iconic as Fanar, with its spiral-shaped minaret. The mosque is open for tours (garments are provided inside). Curious travellers can also visit the adjoining Abdullah Bin Zaid Al Mahmoud Islamic Cultural Centre (known as Bin Zaid), a welcoming and educational place for visitors to find out more about the local customs and religion of Qatar.
Are you ready to discover the beauty of Qatar’s culture and traditions?
