Somewhere at the foot of the dunes and high-rise buildings, next to the cool waters of the Persian Gulf, as if in Gin’s lamp, a small but richest country of the East is located.
How did Qatar become it? Sometimes nature intervenes in fate and makes generous gifts, but only to decide how to dispose of them. Qatarians did this with all wisdom and foresight. Oil money turned Dochu into a city of dreams, and Beduinov into billionaires.
It happened recently. In 1929, black gold was found in the desert, and by the middle of the last century the oil industry began to supplant fishing and extraction of pearls, which previously brought the country the main income. The path from desert villages and placers of the tents to the sparkling luxury metropolis of the Doha passed quickly. This later began to attract wealthy travelers here, but everything began with oil.
Entrance rules
For a visit to Qatar, you will need a passport with a validity period of at least 6 months. There are no problems with a visa: Russians for trips up to 30 days are issued upon arrival. Before the Olympic Games, the authorities simplified the rules of entry for 102 countries, and now Qatar opened for cultural exchange and opened the door to everyone.
How to get
There are flights with long transfers on the sites of airlines, but if you plan to stay longer, you should choose a straight flight and not rush. A ticket from Moscow to Dokhu will cost 30,000 rubles*.
Not far from the exit from the airport you will be met by a comfortable metro. Follow the signs towards the parking lot and go up on the escalator. In this way, you can get to the center and any end of the city. There are three types of cars – standard, family and VIP. The cost varies from 2 to 10 Rials for one trip (about 60-280 rubles*). A taxi also works, but you have to fork out.
Where to stop
- Hotel Al Muntazah Plaza (rating 7.8 out of 10) – from 4,800 rubles* per night.
- Hotel Time Rko Hotel (rating 8.2 out of 10) – from 10,200 rubles* per night.
- Tivoli Hotel (rating 9 out of 10) – from 22,700 rubles* per night.
When to go
In summer, the city is incinerated by heat at 50 ° C, and everyone is hidden under air conditioners. Therefore, the best time for a visit is from November to April, when the thermometer shows 20-30 ° C.
What to see in Doha
Mathaf: Arab Museum of Modern Art
High ceilings and spacious halls at first glance make it clear that it will be luxurious. The Museum of the Mathaf is allowed only by preliminary entry, so it is better to register on the official website in advance and set time there. This was done so that you avoid the accumulation of the people and consider everything with peaceful attentiveness. They love Qatarians personal space and exclusivity, however.
Contemporary art will surprise the variety of materials and forms used. Inside you will find work from gypsum, fabrics, wood, metal and colors, which are so skillfully combined in some works. Sculptures with installations deserve applause. Here you can hear the cultural voice of the people, see the atmosphere and orders of the country in the depicted and typographic thoughts, the attitude of local artists towards the world order and their history. Three floors of crazy sand fantasy. The exposition is changing.
National Catar Museum
The building, designed in the form of the desert rose crystal, will make you open your mouth and stop in stunning. We recommend that you look at this exquisite and grandiose building personally. Inside there is a huge exposition telling about the history of the formation of the country. There are intriguing sculptures and a giant two -level aquarium. The museum presents traditional clothing and tools, jewelry, models of ancient ships and collections of weapons, archaeological finds and works of art.
After visiting the exhibition, go down to the first floor of the building and find the Desert Rose cafe – here they serve the traditional meat porridge of Haris and cook delicious coffee. Orders bring robots.
Cultural village of Katara
Here – spacious streets, the extraordinary beauty of the alley and cold air, which is served from pipes so that the walks are more comfortable. Three strange towers attract attention – these buildings were created specifically for pigeons. Birds settled in small holes, and a drop was gathered inside. It was used by farmers to fertilize the soil.
In a cultural village, you can admire the fragrant gardens, hiding in the shadow of an oasis from rare plants. To stroke the oraves of cats (in which, by the way, the monarchy, like people, eat the main cats first, and then modest cats from one flock are suitable). And then they enlighten in theaters and listen to lectures.
Suk-vakif market with falcon lobby
Previously, the Bedouins traded camels here, and now the oldest bazaar of the city is located here. The merchants lure in shops with carpets and daggers, caskets and lamps from Arab fairy tales, and in the establishments they serve coffee with a unique aroma, halva, rahate lukum and dates. Be sure to look here to plunge into the atmosphere of oriental aromas, narrow corridors and see a beautiful old architecture. In the evening, the market comes to life and is filled with people.
Somewhere near the carved arches in the courtyards, you can find a pavilion with a falcon flock. In Qatar, many families pass on business from generation to generation, and this is one of these examples. Sometimes the son walks with a falcon on his hand in the environs, attracting visitors to the store, and his father receives guests. All predators here differ in plumage and age and sit on wooden crossbars with blindfolded eyes in anticipation of a hunter-buyer or the next exhibition. With a hollow in front of our eyes, hunting birds are not distracted by extraneous stimuli and do not break into prey ahead of time. Having a falcon is a prestigious matter.
Gavan DOW and a panoramic view of the “Pearl of Qatar”
From mosques, melodies are reported, calling for prayer from the speakers. Says MUEDZIN. A cubic museum of Islamic art with palm trees planted along the edges is emerged on the sides. The shores are strewn with wooden ships with fabric canopies. Walking around the harbor, you will notice the carpet paths leading to the decks of traditional ships. Skating on the waters of the Persian Gulf costs 25 rials (about 700 rubles*) in 30 minutes. There are also long swims. Solder of the boats to choose from at your disposal.
A panorama of another part of the city can be observed at the stone berth of the eastern side of the Kornish embankment. There is the richest and pompous area of the metropolis – “Pearl of Qatar.” From above, it resembles two open rings with mirror skyscrapers placed on a sandy embankment. Many luxurious restaurants and boutiques are located there to maintain a luxury image. High -rise towers in Doha are another work of art.
Green Verses Katara South Hills
Passing by shopping centers or through them, go to a wonderful park with hills and paths – here you can take a breath and perceive on the lawn in the light of the lights of the night city. Behind high bushes, car flows roll somewhere at the speed of light, but here it does not bother. The all -consuming feeling of peace and tranquility envelops consciousness. The grass tickles the fingers, and the paths will lead you according to the pleasant impressions of the day. Beautiful views are provided.
What to see in the desert
The desert in Qatar occupies the bulk of the territories and is divided into zones. You can only get deep into SUVs with tires or camels. Those who are pulling away from civilization, spend the night in harsh conditions – in campsites and tents under the starry sky.
Bir-winter territories of uninhabited stone desert, consisting of rocky slopes. Local and tourists called them with sand mushrooms due to characteristic forms. They were formed as a result of weathering of softer limestone rocks. In this mystical place, rare animals live-Orixs, and nearby there is a ghost city resembling a surreal mirage.
Another reason to go to uninhabited lands: the art sorment of Richard Serge “West-East”. Once this American sculptor decided to install installation Bir-Zikrite near the territories. Now four 15-meter metal plates rise in the silent desert, telling about time and paths-they change their color, like chameleons, depending on the location of the sun.
Choir El-Udaid – Reserve with a view of the bay. It is there that the desert meets the waters of the Persian Gulf, which is surrounded by huge dunes. They can be snowboarding from them. In height, sand slides reach 40 meters, and there is a lagoon 80 kilometers from the Doha. In the evening, the inner sea retreats, exposing the bottom. Morning rays caress the skin, and this place will appear in the best form at dawn. Extreme can come in the afternoon, but it is still worthwhile to put on a panama.
Al-Tahira – Mangrove forest with aquatic plants that expose their roots on tide. In the reserve, you can swim on kayaks, go fishing, arrange a picnic and see crab houses, flamingos, cormorants, cracks and a variety of rare fish.
How the locals have fun
Camel jumps
Entertainment, which previously popular among the Bedouins, continues to delight and captivate the Arab sheikhs. Here are often arranged races that broadcast throughout the city, and notorious speed fans can even accompany running on their road cars along the road and betting. The old spectacle turned into gambling and a unique pastime.
Shoping
Buying with branded clothes and spending the whole day in the shopping center is a common thing, and the time flies to the sunset unnoticed. In the summer, the wives of Sheikhs, tourists, children are hidden under air conditioners and conduct leisure. Among the boutiques of world brands there are enough entertainment: for example, in Villaggio Mall you can even ride on Italian gonders by moving from a store to the store. Lagoona Mall has a courtyard with recreation spaces and a pool, and Doha Festival City stunes with its size of 600,000 square meters and the first snow park in the country.
Golf
And this sport here was created by a whole cult, supporters of which exactly are able to relax from work. Many millionaires have enthusiastically drive balls with partners in pauses between negotiations, celebrate weddings on golf fields, arrange corporate parties, accept school visits and simply have a secluded skill with a coach. Two huge complexes are located in Doha – the level of service and the services provided is amazing. Here are VIP restaurants with relaxation areas at the side, and fields with alien holes, and a technique for a 3D analysis of a throw.
Horse sport
Qatarians love to enjoy the jumps and practice riding, so that the hippodrome is filled with people every Wednesday and Thursday from October to May. The famous Arab horses are well settled in the capital in the capital – here they have a whole complex where they carry out training, and in breaks horses are combed with silky manes, massage and typed pools with jacuzzi for bathing. These animals played a very important role in the battle for independence in 1893, so they are chewed and cherished here. The center is equipped with air conditioners, arena, and the horses continue to win first places in competitions around the world.
*Photo on the cover @slsk Photography/Shuttenstock
