Doha was my stopover when travelling to Singapore and back. I had almost 20 hours to spend in Doha on my way back to Dublin, so of course I used the opportunity to see the city. And now you can see it too!
Doha skyscrapers are breathtaking, but seeing them from the other side of the bay was just good enough for me: I wanted to see the old part of the city, along the waterfront where old wooden boats are moored. Souq Waqif is just across the road from the waterfront, and this is what you need to see in Doha. Museum of Islamic Art is also right there, which is definitely a must — not only for its exhibits, but for the museum building itself.
Museum of Islamic Art is just next to the old harbor. Make sure to visit it — for many reasons: to see the exhibitions, to see the beautiful building, to get some relief from the hot damp climate outside, to have something to drink and eat in its restaurant. And this is what the building looks from the inside (photos just cannot show how large the building really is, but you might get some idea):
Set in Stone: Gems and Jewels from Royal Indian Courts was the current exhibition when I visited the museum. Here are a couple of photos from that exhibition:
The inner courtyard of the museum, just next to the museum library. Quiet and cool place with a splendid view to the Doha skyline across the bay.
Not so long ago, Doha was looking quite different than it is looking today. When I look at the photos that were taken some 100 years ago in the centre of Zagreb, my hometown, I hardly find any difference on how the streets and buildings look today. But the oil was found in Qatar, deep under desert sand, which instantly made Qatar one of the richest countries, and transformed it completely. A little over 2 million people live in Qatar, however, Qatar has one of the largest and best airline companies in the world — regardless of its tiny population. Compare the first three photos with the rest of this set:
I saved Souq Waqif for the end. Definitely not your typical local green market! You could easily spend the whole day there, and still wouldn’t see half of souq. Cafes, restaurants, street food — and the market. Not only a market for spices, fruit, vegetables, arts & crafts and souvenirs, but for some more exotic things as well. Horses. Camels. Falcons. All sort of birds and animals. Gold.
