Mahraba! Stopover in Doha, Qatar
“There is magic in the old and magic in the new; the trick is to successfully combine the two.”
― A.D. Posey
Doha in Qatar has been very successful in merging the grace of the past with the splendor of the future. It reminds me in many ways of Las Vegas, Nevada, USA where you can visit multiple countries in the blink of an eye.
Many of the middle east airlines offer a Discover package which facilitates a subsidized stopover and exploration of their country. I was able to take advantage of such a stopover offered by Qatar Airways when I flew home to Los Angeles, California from New Delhi India. This was a great way to break a long journey, stay in a five star luxury hotel for next to nothing and see a new country into the bargain. A total win for someone like me.
While the public transport here is excellent, I did not brave it given the heat with temperatures at 45 degrees centigrade. Instead I hired a car and driver and spent a fun evening exploring the city.
What can one do in a 20 hour stop over in Doha? As it turns out quite a bit especially after mine ended up being a bit shorter than originally planned with my flight from New Delhi being delayed. People on the flight worried about their possible missed connections while I lamented at the lost time from my jam packed itinerary.
The Force of Nature II metallic sculpture by Lorenzo Quinn with an Arab Dhow behind it exhibited just outside the amphitheater at the Katara Village Center.
My first sightseeing stop was the Katara cultural village complex which is a fusion of oriental architectural and retro-romantic styles. As we arrived at what appears at first glance to be an ancient walled city, I was greeted by a golf cart who kindly drove me around the interior which consists of galleries, restaurants, event spaces, theaters and sculptures. Each space within this area has it’s own unique architecture that pulls inspiration from several different parts of the world. Unfortunately for me it was still early in the day and it was a bit light on people enjoying the amenities and facilities.
When you see this picture with it’s tinkling fountains and Persian Gulf shimmering in the horizon, it’s hard to imagine that you are in the middle of a desert.
These are luxury cabins on the beach. People use them to change, relax, smoke shisha or for business meetings. These are definitely one of a kind that I’ve not seen anywhere else. Potentially these are used by women but I could not confirm that factoid anywhere.
The pigeon towers of Qatar are one of the most intriguing architectural works in Qatar. Not only do they provide housing for thousands of pigeon but they are also designed to collect pigeon droppings that make up fertilizer for local farms.
The Katara Masjid, or mosque, that was designed by world-renowned Turkish architect, Zainab Fadil Oglu. This building is a nod to the famous blue mosque in Istanbul, Turkey.
The famous Pearl District. From the luxury car showrooms, the beautiful high rise condos, and the beautiful yachts in the marina. You are forgiven for thinking that you might be in the South of France or Monte Carlo.
I had to blink a time or two as I walked around this area that my driver got special permission for us to stop at and for me to walk around in.
Then riding along the Corniche on our way to Souq Waqif we drove past the royal palace to be treated to this sight of a troop riding their camels in perfect formation.
The two pictures bring home the seam less transition of modern and traditional as you travel through this Arabian Nights city.
The famous Souq Waqif which embodies a way of life that has been around for over a hundred years. The souq is organized into bazaars or sections that are grouped around specific items like gold, spices, carpet, falcons, horses etc. I believe I’ve mentioned it once before but these middle eastern souqs and markets remind me very much of the New Market in Kolkata, India where I grew up.
Falcons are a traditional sport in Qatar and Souq Waqif has a dedicated falcon souq where you can hold a falcon on your hand and tour the medical facilities etc. Would it be totally wimpy of me to say that I passed on holding one on my wrist?
From the traditional to the ultra modern and rich flaunting the wealth in this country. My driver thought that I would enjoy spending time in this ultra-modern designer mall which is perhaps even more opulent than some of the high end malls in the US. I was tempted for all of a moment and that too only because of the air-conditioning.
These stalls in Souq Waqif were more my jam as I wandered through this fascinating maze. I finally stopped at an open air café to enjoy a long cool glass of freshly squeezed guava juice to people watch and just watch life go by.
I was thrilled to see a group of horsemen in traditional costume riding their horses as though they were born to it right in front of where I sat. By the time I got my camera, I could only capture their backs as they left us behind. Now that’s a sight that you don’t normally see in a marketplace.
Al Fanar - The Qatar Islamic Cultural center is a famous landmark situated at the end of the Corniche. They make non-Muslims welcome and will even arrange for you to meet with some one from the center who will brief you in advance on the mosque customs. Unfortunately my schedule did not allow me a visit inside and I had to content myself in walking and admiring it from the outside.
The old Dhow harbor at sunset full of the traditional wooden dhows as some of the them got ready to entertain tourists for dinner cruises and others rested for the day. Apparently if you come in the early morning you can see the fishermen bringing in their catch and unloading it.
The city skyline with its modern skyscrapers and the old wooden dhows that have sailed these waters for hundreds of years. This truly embodies the spirit of this beautiful city and desert country.
I felt completely safe wandering around the city and not just in the so very European sections where you could be forgiven for wondering if you were a part of a new technological experiment that transported you around the globe in the blink of an eye. I definitely recommend taking advantage of of a stopover here if you have the opportunity or even traveling here on vacation.
This trip was in July of 2019, so I have not had an opportunity to revisit and catch up on what I might have visited given how much the travel landscape has changed since then.