Virtual Tour of Qatar

Don't know where to go on your time off? Here's a virtual tour of some of the main sites of Qatar.

OK, I've been traveling around the country enjoying the various tourist sites in Qatar and have been videotaping my escapades. So, the result is a virtual tour of many of the sites that can be found in this country. I'll try to give good directions, but with all the road construction going on in this country, many landmarks are either gone or have been moved. Hopefully I can add locations as I explore further. So, on to the sites!

SOUQ WAQIF

Also known as the "Old Souq," this shopping and restaurant district is a must-see and is located in the heart of Doha. Although it has the moniker "Old Souq," it is in reality only several years old. It was designed and built in the old style of Arabic markets. You can't visit Doha without visiting the Souq Waqif!

BARZAN TOWERS

Built in 1910, these twin towers were part of a fortress which overlooked the bay of Doha, giving defenders a good view of ships approaching the bay. Today, there exists the two restored towers, an admin building and the mosque surrounded by a short wall, however, old photos depict an installation that had much more of a fortress layout. Nonetheless, this is a great tour if you only have a few hours, as it is close to Doha. You can find it on the edge of Doha just off of North road (road to Shamal, highway 1). Take the Umm Salal Mohammed exit and after about a kilometer you should see it off to your right. You can actually see the towers from North Road, but you have to know what you are looking for.

Geo Coord: UTM coordinates N 25° 25' 07.66" E 51° 24' 48.05"

SINGING DUNES - SEALINE RESORT

The Singing Dunes supposedly will make sounds when you climb up or down them. Although I have not yet heard the sounds, it is still a great place to visit. The Singing Dunes is host to DuneStock, a concert event held roughly every year. To get to the Singing Dunes, take Salwa Road out of Doha (you'll have to figure out your way around construction). Take the exit for Messaieed (if you see exit 29, you've gone too far). Travel for about 15 KM, going through two round-abouts. Shortly after the second round-about is a road on the right with a sign for Kharrarra, take that. There are a few nasty speed bumps, so take care. When you come to the fork in the road, take the left option. You will shortly come to the dunes. To get to Sealine Resort, continue on the road to Messaieed, and when you get to the main intersection at the refineries, go right and travel south. Sealine Resort is at the end of the paved road.

Video 1:

Video 2 - Singing Dunes:

AL ZUBARAH FORT

The Al Zubarah Fort was built in the 1930's to defend against invasion by Bahrain. It was in use by the Qatar military until the 1980's. It's a great old fort, and a wonderful afternoon outing. To get there, take North Road (Highway 1 to Shamal) about 55 kilometers out of Doha. When you see the Hypermarket on the left, turn on the highway that branches off to the left. Follow that highway all the way across Qatar to the West coast, you will see the fort sitting on the right side of the road.

Geo Coord: UTM coordinates N 25° 58' 34'' E 51° 02' 43''

AL ZUBARAH RUINS

Just beyond Al Zubarah Fort, on the edge of the water, is an old abandoned fishing and pearling village that dates back many centuries. It was abandoned roughly in the early 1800's, and was quickly overtaken by the elements. There are references to this village dating back at least to the 1600's, but this village was obviously in existance long before that. Archelogists have excavated portions of the village, but most of it is still covered by sand. A great outing to explore the past!

Geo Coord: UTM coordinates N 25° 58' 27.4" E 51° 01' 39"

PETROGLYPHS

A short ways North of Al Khor is a grouping of ancient rock carvings by prehistoric Qatari people. Although the age of these carvings are disputed, they are clearly prehistoric from a Qatar perspective. The carvings are mostly circular holes carved into the rock in daisy-like formations, or groupings of circles in two straight lines. Some, though, have the appearance of boats, scorpions, and other animals. Take North Road north from Doha past Al Khor. Follow the right exit toward Al Huwaila, headed East. Take the first real paved highway to the left. When you reach an area that is fenced-in on the left, that is the petroglyph area. A good place to start for seeing the major portion of the petroglyphs is right around the rusted sign inside the fenced-in area. The biggest portion of petroglyphs is on a rock outcropping that parallels the main road.

Geo Coord: UTM coordinates N 25° 57' 07.7" E 51° 24' 22.8"

GHOST TOWNS

Along the North coast of Qatar are several old, fishing villages that were abandoned in the 1970's. Although there is no formal explanation for the migration away from these communities, the residents there most likely left these little villages when Qatar came into it's natural gas wealth. I visited three of the most prominent of these settlements. To get there, take the North Road all the way to Shamal at the northern tip of the country, then take the highway to the West. Beware that travel to the villages, other than Al Jumail, is pretty much cross-country, as there aren't real roads leading to these communities.

AL JUMAIL - This ghost town is the easiest to access, as it is visible from the highway just to the West of Shamal, on the Northern tip of Qatar. There is a fairly decent road that leads to this village.
Geo Coord: N 26° 05' 46.89" E 51° 09' 21.94"

AL KHUWAIR - Although not necessarily visible from the road, it is located directly behind a major communications installation. Go towards the cluster of radio towers, and Al Khuwair is right behind it, situated on the waterfront.
Geo Coord: N 26° 04' 07.38" E 51° 05' 02.30"

AL AREESH - I recommend using a GPS to get to this site, as it's not visible from the road and there are no clearly recognizable features along the way. It appears that there is a Qatar Coast Guard facility next door, so that may help.
Geo Coord: N 26° 03' 03.42" E 51° 03' 24.57"

AL KHOR - OK, this isn't really an abandoned fishing village, but it is a small community that obviously was abandoned many years ago. Simply take the North Road (Highway 1 to Shamal) and follow the Al Khor exit. These buildings are situated just off to the right of the road leading into Al Khor.