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Gold Souq: The gold souq consists of a block of small shops specializing in gold jewellery and ambiance of quality 18-and 22-carat.
Water Sports and Cruises:Being surrounded by the Arabian Gulf on all three sides of the peninsula, there lies plenty of opportunities for cruising and water sporting. Sailing is a good pastime here, and many private firms offer windsurfers and dinghies for rent and there are sailing classes for novice sailors.
Desert Safari: Making a trip to the inland sea, located in the middle of the desert, could be a fabulous way of spending the day. Sand dunes that are 60meters in height could be found along the way. Most air-conditioned vehicles are geared with necessary safety equipments to take one through an exciting, safe, tour to the mysterious desert.
The Museum of Islamic Art, Qatar, is a museum for the world. It will bring the world to Doha, but it will also connect Doha to the world. The Museum of Islamic Art is dedicated to being the foremost museum of Islamic art in the world, and as well a centre of education and information in the field of the arts of the Islamic world. Through the vision of its leadership and the dedication of its staff, the Museum of Islamic Art will manifest this commitment by establishing, preserving, and documenting a collection that reflects the vitality, the complexity, and the diversity of the arts of the Islamic world.
Opening Hours
Sunday 11 a.m. – 6 p.m.Monday Closed Tuesday 11 a.m. – 6 p.m.Wednesday 11 a.m. – 6 p.m. Thursday 11 a.m. – 6 p.m. Friday 3 p.m. – 9 p.m. Saturday 11 a.m. – 6 p.m. Admission to Mathaf is free
Wind Tower House One of Qatar’s very few remaining “wind tower” houses, just off Grand Hamad Street in Najada Shopping Plaza, this was formerly used as an ethnographic museum. Built in the 14th century of the Hejira (Muslim) calendar and first restored in 1982, the building has been taken over by the Ministry of Municipal Affairs and Agriculture and further restored to serve as a Gulf Architectural Heritage Centre. Although currently closed to the public it provides a popular photo opportunity. The square wind tower known locally as badghir, was used in the Gulf prior to the days of electricity to provide a very efficient form of natural “air conditioning”.
Weaponry MuseumThe Weaponry Museum in Al Luqta houses an amazing display of gold and silver swords and daggers from the region as well as weapons and armor dating back to the 16th century. Among the collection are magnificent ceremonial swords that belonged to members of the ruling families throughout the Gulf, including an 18th century gold-encrusted dagger that was once the property of Sheikh Bin Abdullah Al-Thani, a sword belonging to King Faisal Bin Abdul Aziz Al Saud of Saudi Arabia, and a khunjar that belonged to the famed Lawrence of Arabia. The museum has, at its core, the private collection of Sheikh Hassan Bil Mohammed Bin Al-Thani, which was purchased from him by the state in 1004 and now comes under the protection of the Department of Museums and Antiquities. The beauty and rarity of this collection is reflected in the tasteful layout of the display cabinets, with each of the 2,314 weapons carrying information on origin and antiquity. Each exhibit is labeled in English and Arabic and some of the displays include relevant photographs or paintings.Visits are by appointments only.
Ishat Island Located in the southeastern portion of the country, Ishat Island has a total area of about 20 square kilometres. It consists of three flat-topped islets bordered with light coloured cliffs and two detached rocks lying northeast of Khor Al-Udaid.
Shra’o IslandSituated about 48 kilometres northeast of Ishat Island, Shra’o Island rises to 36.5’ and has many hummocks. There is also a small fringed reef and a sandy beach used by turtles to lay their eggs. Just three hours away from Doha by speedboat, Shra’o Island serves as a haven to thousands of seabirds.
Haloul IslandThis hilly island rises to an elevation of 190 feet and is surrounded by excellent fishing grounds. The seabed is made up of coral reefs with a large variety of magnificent and beautiful coral fish and offers wonderful opportunities for scuba divers to observe marine life.
Al-Saflia IslandJust a 15-minute boat ride from Doha, Al-Saflia Island is considered a tourist resort – even with its tiny size of .8 square kilometres.Alia IslandTo the west and complimenting Al-Saflia Island lies the small land mass of Alia Island – just slightly over 2 square kilometres in size.