Unique and unusual places in Qatar

Qatar boasts of a skyline that is akin to a futuristic city where cars fly and people teleport as a main means of commute (who knows, that reality may not be far ahead of us!) and museums, malls, parks, restaurants, hotels, entertainment centers to keep everyone happily occupied throughout the year.

However, there is much more than meets the eye in Qatar, or as Shakespeare aptly put, 'There are more things in Heaven and Earth, Horatio, than are dreamt of in your philosophy.'

A quiet strength encapsulates Qatar, embodying great resilience, fortitude and a calm embrace for travelers in its land. Here are a few wonders of Qatar, old and new, that hold a fascination for all, dwellers as well as tourists.

Sheikh Faisal Bin Qassim Al Thani Museum

If you have not yet ventured into this house of fascinating collectibles, you are missing out on a gem in Qatar. It lies at a distance of 20km from Education City going on the Dukhan Highway. A trip to the museum four years ago greeted us with surprise elements, in the form of historic remains of Qatar, coupled with boats, vehicles throughout the ages, as well as a plane! A recent trip proved just as entertaining, however, we noticed that the arrangement of the collections had changed and new items had been added. One can only marvel at the range of interests that are gathered under one roof. Sheikh Faisal had remarkable taste in everything.

Photo by Stewart Lacey

Msheireb Museums

The Msheireb Museums presented us with a pleasant surprise recently, making us wonder how we could have missed it before. The museum is comprised of four houses, each built as the exact replica of the original one built in the exact area about a century and a half ago. Each house showcases the history of Qatar. Among the four houses, the Company House exhibits how Qatar developed after the discovery of oil in the region. The other house, Bait Radwani displays the life lived in the Qatari home the days of yore. Bin Jelmood House offered the most poignant journey in Qatar’s life, related to slavery throughout the years. It was far from the preconceived notions of slavery, and showed how the master and the helper lived side by side; sometimes it was indiscernible to distinguish which was whom among the two.

Camel Racetrack at Shahaniya

Enroute to Dukhan city from Doha lies the Al Shahaniya Camel Racetrack. Check for the racing schedule before planning to watch this spectacular event. Even if racing is not scheduled you can watch the camels in training. Get up close and personal with these desert ships, when they are walking to the track. Some trainers allow you to pet the camels, which is an exciting prospect for children.

Photo by Rafeek Manchayil

Singing sand dunes

Ever heard the wind howling at an unusual pitch outside your building? This phenomenon occurs because of certain angles of physical structures where wind flows with speed, and can vary from whistling to high pitched scary howling. Just 40km from Doha the desert is shaped naturally in this fascinating phenomenon. Wind blowing through the sand dunes creates low-pitched whistling sounds that change their hum and volume according to the speed of the wind.

Singing dunes by Sandhy Trias

Umm Salal Mohammed Fort

On the North of Doha some ruins can be found among which Umm Salal Fort stands out the most. The structure has stood from the eighteenth century and maintains its glory in the desert.

Barzan tower

Just ahead of the Umm Salal Mohammed Fort another historic structure can be seen. The Barzan Towers were created at the beginning of the 20th century, as a watchtower to monitor incoming travelers, to watch over the pearl diving, and also functioned as a lighthouse and moon observatory to track important occasions in the Hijri calendar. One tower has an impressive staircase worth inspecting as a marvelous architectural piece in the region’s history.

Photo by A. Rahman Alkhulaifi

Al Zubara Fort

Built in 1938, the Zubara Fort stands as a formidable building alone in the middle of the desert on the west coast of Qatar. It was used for military purposes back in the day, but stands as an abandoned architectural marvel today that has been preserved through the harsh climate of Qatar.

Photo by Damon McDonald

Rock carvings at Jabal Jassassiya

In the northwest region of Qatar there are relics from the ancient past that reflect the life of dwellers from the fifteenth century. The rock carvings appear on the limestone hills and show geometric patterns, and shapes of animals and ships. Some relics of pottery and domestic utensils are also found along with these petroglyphs.

Rock carvings

Al Thakhira Beach

Just at the end of the Al Khor Corniche on the northern side, Al Thakhira coast stretches across the beach. The defining features of Al Thakhira are mangroves and varieties of birds. The mangroves provide an experience of oasis in the middle of the desert. For the more adventurous souls, kayaking experiences are available through an eco-adventure company.

Photo by Aamir Md Naeem

Zekreet Fort

The Zekreet village in north-western region of Qatar offers several attractions, including the Zekreet Beach, Zekreet Fort and Film City. The Zekreet Fort is similar to Zubara Fort in architectural design and materials used. The four watchtowers were constructed at a later date than the original structure.

Photo by Dennis Salas

Film City

Another place worth visiting at Zekreet is the Film City. It is a recently built structure replicating a small Arabic city with minarets and lined with palm trees. Like other ruins it is abandoned, but an interesting sight to behold nevertheless; the new with the old in the history of Qatar.

Photo by Mohsin Mohamed

Feature photo by Aamir Md Naeem