VIDEO: What do you know about Al Ardah, Qatar's traditional dance?

In recent years, Qatar's capital city of Doha has emerged as a center of culture in the GCC through the development of museums and cultural festivals.

The arts and culture has a lot in common with its neighbors across the Arabian Peninsula. Qatar's longstanding relations and cultural exchange with countries in Africa and the Indian subcontinent have also influenced its folklore and popular art.

The poetry, music, and dance of the Bedouin tribes that first migrated to Qatar still influences today's music and culture. Traditional dances, such as the Al-Ardah, are regularly performed to traditional rhythms, mostly during national events or during wedding ceremonies.

Ardah, a folkloric dance, is still practiced in Qatar. The dance is performed with two rows of men opposite of one another, each of whom may or may not be wielding a sword, and is accompanied by drums and spoken poetry.

Percussive instruments are the basis of most Qatari music, including a wide range of drums, tambourines, and cymbals. Stringed instruments such as the oud and rababa are also played in Qatar.

Sources: qatarembassy.info, Wikipedia