Qatar Sights

Among the most outstanding cultural attractions include the Qatar National Museum, the Center of traditional handicrafts, the strength of Kut, and, of course, the Arab markets. Capital is famed for its mosques (of them in a relatively small Doha, 260). Among them, the Grand Mosque with multiple domes, the mosque of Abu Bakr and Umar. The city has many libraries, the most important of which - the National Library, which houses the richest country in the collection of books and manuscripts.

Because of its climatic features, Qatar is not rich in historical and natural monuments. The main attraction of the country - its rich history, proof of which are increasingly expanding archaeological excavations, which reveal more and more traces of ancient civilizations on the territory of Qatar. Also attractive are softer than in neighboring countries, Islamic traditions, unique culture and magnificent products of local artisans.

Doha - capital of the country - has evolved over the past few years in the modern city. Many public and private buildings of the capital is a harmonious fusion of traditional Arabic architecture and modern trends in architecture. At seven miles along Doha Bay stretches bordered by palm trees, flower beds and green grass terrace with ample space for walking. This is the most popular places in the city, where the spectacular view to the sea.

Doha (Al-DESD) has earned an unenviable reputation as the most dismal town on Earth, but it's not quite true. Located in a hard-arid climate, a relatively young capital of Qatar (founded in 1867) is located in the picturesque area of the bay. Many houses in traditional Arabic style, built up over centuries on the basis of the maximum adaptation to local climatic conditions, creating distinctive style of urban development. Old neighborhoods are framed blocks of ultramodern buildings with glass windows, palm avenues and alleys, had grown over the years of "oil boom".

Tourist attractions are the capital are considered "old town", Fort Doha, Government House, the complex of the City Centro Doha, trade complexes "Landmark" and "Hyatt Plaza, embankment Cornish, entertainment center" Palm Island ", an amusement park" Aladdin -the Kingdom ", Aquarium, Zoo Doha and, of course, traditional eastern markets (" bitches ")" Suk-Vakif "," Suk-Gold "and others, as well as many small traditional markets, located primarily on the outskirts of the city.

Deserve special attention museums of the capital. The ancient land of Qatar, only in recent years have researchers discover its secrets, and yet it is precisely this territory was a hotbed of proliferation of humanity in Asia. Qatar National Museum is located in the palace of Sheikh Abdullah bin Mohammed, who ruled the country from 1913 until 1951 the main exposition is a two-tiered aquarium with local fish fauna underwater, no less interesting material on the Arabian Sea Expedition and the period of discovery by Europeans a sea route to India. Here are the traditional astronomical navigational techniques of ancient seafaring history of the formation of Islam, life, astronomy, industry and the traditional way of life Qataris. Museum of weapons of capital is based on the weapons collection Sheikh, in which to collect the weapons of all time, including a unique collection of long-barreled shotguns Arab flint XVIII-XIX centuries.

Ethnographic Museum of Qatar is in the restoration of traditional Qatari house, found during construction in the courtyard of the new shopping complex. The museum shows the life of local residents before the oil boom and includes a unique exhibits, including one of the few remaining towers of the Wind "- a traditional form of housing with a unique system of natural air-conditioning and ventilation of the home, so indispensable in the hot region. On the territory of Fort Doha is another museum of the capital, closely follows the exposition of the National Museum, and famed for a good exposition of traditional country crafts, including carving, stamping and gold notch metal, carpet and tapestries. In the capital there is also a small postal museum.

At 25 km. to the north of Doha is a fort of Umm Salal Mohammed - a small snow-white building with two towers and a small mosque with a minaret old, who only recently restored to its original state. The only reason to justify a visit to this place - some truly unreal feeling that Umm Salal Mohammed is in another world in another area - so fantastic contrast to the azure sea, white from the heat of the desert and the ancient brick walls of the fort.

Umm Salal Ali, lying 40 km. to the north of Doha, is the most famous archaeological area of the country. Mounds and mounds, which are being studied by archaeologists, very old, and probably dated to the III-th millennium BC. e. Scientists theorize that because Islam forbids a funeral in the mounds, these mounds of stone should be left by some ancient tribes of pre-Islamic times. Some romance even argue that this is the tomb of mythical Aryan tribes or even less than fabulous Atlantis.

65 km. to the north of Doha on the east coast, lies the small town of Al Khor - by local standards the whole assembly in the open air, consisting of a small museum (though it is rarely open), and numerous mosques scattered throughout the old city of towers, some of which were restored in its original form. The real reason for stopping in Al-Khor - a huge and very picturesque view of the ocean, opening of the mosque (in a completely "flat" of the country is in itself a rarity).

Lying along the north-western coast of Qatar, Al-Zubarah region was for centuries the main populated area of the country. For nearly 200 years, this region is ruled by the al-Khalifa, Bahrain's ruling family, but hotly contested between them and al-Thani - the royal family of Qatar. Fort, which you can see today was built in 1938, shortly after the transfer of full control over the area to the Al-Thani. In a couple of kilometers from the city buried in sand Zubarah lie the ruins of the ancient coastal fortifications, probably first or XVII-XVIII-th century.

One of the most popular entertainments offered to tourists in Qatar - safari. In contrast to the UAE, this safari more extreme and more likely a roller-coaster ride. "