Doha cultural heritage · Cultural Heritage in Doha
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Cultural Heritage in Doha
Cultural Heritage in Doha
Al Koot Fort - Built in 1880, during the Ottoman period, this big white fort is located in what is now the parking lot of Souq Waqif. At the time it was built, however, the fort was located on the outskirts of the city. Though the fort was formerly used as an ethnographic museum, the building is now currently closed, though still a popular place to take photos.
Clock Tower - located next to the Grand Mosque, this old clock tower features Arabic numerals on its face. The tower is also located on a hill, and as such offers some wonderful views of the Corniche.
Doha Heritage Village - located along the Corniche in Al Rumeilia Park, is a skanzen based on a traditional Qatari village. Visitors can expect to see weaving, pearl trading, and a dhow (traditional boat). Also holds occasional festivals and activities.
Souq Waqif - Another place that is very worth going is Souq Waqif, the renovated Arabic market quarter. You can easily wander around the maze-like corridors for hours. The Souq is organized more or less by what is sold. There is a section of spice shops, another of textiles, and even a quarter where they sell falcons. Also look for places to buy souvenirs, sit down to smoke a Sheesha, or enjoy food at one of the restaurants bordering it.
Al Zubara Fort - Situated just 100 km west of Doha lies the town of Al Zubarah, an important archaeological site famous for its old fort. This fort-turned-museum was constructed in 1938 during the reign of Sheikh Abdullah Bin Jassim Al-Thani and was erected on the ruins of a neighbouring fort. The fort itself is squre-shaped with circular towers in three of its corners and a rectangular tower in the fourth. With high, thick walls, this fort also served as a coast-guard station and, until the mid-1980’s, was used by the military.
Heritage library - Over 51,000 books in Arabic and other languages on Qatar and the Middle East, together with 600 antique maps, 2,000 manuscripts and 6,000 original photographs, will form The Arabian and Islamic Heritage Library in Qatar, another initiative of HH Sheikha Mozah Bint Nasser Al Missned through Qatar Foundation. It will be one of the biggest research centres in the Middle East, and is based on a collection started by Sheikh Hassan Bin Mohamed Al Thani in 1979.
Virginia Commonwealth University Qatar’s gallery - The gallery at the VCU-Q campus in Education City regularly hosts visiting exhibitions as well as the work of faculty members and students. On those occasions, the gallery is open to the general public.Located in the heart of a city and region with an extraordinarily vibrant and diverse cultural heritage, VCUQatar plays a central role in the modern cultural life of Qataris and Middle Easterners. Whether in the studio, the library, the computer laboratory, or the lecture halls, students can expand their cultural perspectives as well as acquire expertise for the workplace within an energetic and compassionate learning environment.
It has grown steadily since then through planned acquisition and purchase.
The collection will include Arab manuscripts, a foreign language section dating back to the 15th century, and 20th century books about art and politics. The library is scheduled to open by 2010 in a new, specially designed building.
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Doha Travel Guide from Wikitravel. Many thanks to all Wikitravel contributors. Text is available under Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 3.0, images are available under various licenses, see each image for details.