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Explore a grand desert paradise built on the foundations of nearly six millennia of Qatari tradition and history. Sharq Village & Spa is the perfect place to discover all the ancient culture and captivating modern entertainments Doha has to offer.
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Seasonal Highlights  (show details)  (hide details)
January
- Qatar Exxon/Mobil International Tennis Tournament
- Qatar Golf Open Tournament
- Fencing Grand Prix Qatar Motor Show
- Qatar Commercial Bank's Golf Masters Tournament
- Qatar Cycling Federation
February
- Qatar International Sailing Championship
- Qatar Table Tennis Federation
- Doha Jewelry and Watches Exhibition
- International Horses Beauty Contest
- Qatar Agriculture Exhibition
- Qatar/Total Open Women's Tennis Championship
March
- International Trade Fair (ITF)
- Qatar International Equestrian Jumping Event
- International Squash Tournament
- Qatar Masters International Chess
April
- Qatar International Property and Investment
- International Wedding Expo - Doha (IWED)
- Education, Training and Development Exhibition
- Food and Beverage Exhibition
May
- International Furniture and Decor Exhibition (INFDEC)
June
- H.H. The Emir Handball Doha International Basketball
- Qatar Open Body Building Championship for Men (Seniors and Youths)
July
- Qatar Summer Wonders September
- Qatar Golden Cup Body Building Championship
- GCC Men's Basketball Championship
September
November
- Qatar Classic Squash Championship
December
- Doha International Book Fair
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Doha Corniche (show details) (hide details)
The palm tree-lined Doha Corniche is one of the most famous waterfronts in the Middle East. It sweeps about 7.5km along the coast in a smooth curve, finishing at the newly-built Museum of Islamic Arts. In the early evening, the Corniche is full of atmosphere, with people picnicking in the gardens, exercising on the waterfront or enjoying the cool evening breeze and views of the dazzling city skyline.
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Shahaniya (show details) (hide details)
30 minutes
All camel racing takes place at the purpose built racetrack just north of Sheehaniya, a 30 minute drive to the west of Doha on the Dukhan road. A visit provides a unique opportunity to observe this traditional sport and witness the local people in harmony with their surroundings. Race season begins in October when training begins and minor races are held, culminating in several prestigious events in March and April.
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Singing Sand Dunes (show details) (hide details)
Since the days when the great explorers set out to discover what lay beyond their horizons, there have been tales of strange, low-pitched sounds heard in the desert. This fascinating natural phenomenon is a result of friction for a thin layer of sand flowing down the leeward side of a sand dune, fed from the top of the wind. Amplified by the crescent shape of the barchan dunes, it is said that the sound can be heard up to 10 km away – a deep and resonant humming that seems strangely eerie in an otherwise silent desert landscape. There are relatively few areas in the world where the sand produces such a sound.
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Souq Waqif (show details) (hide details)
The Waqif souq is the one place in Qatar where you can find anything and everything. Made up of a large labyrinth of alleyways lined with various shops, the popular souq is a feast for the senses. Selections of perfumes, spices, incense, sweets, rice and dried fruits are so plentiful they often spill out of the shops into the alleys. This is a bartering haven.
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Cities of Qatar (show details) (hide details)
Al Wakrah
For a glimpse into the recent history of the peninsula, travelers can visit Al Wakrah - where the Qatari fishing industry exists, nearly untouched, as it has for hundreds of years.
Umm Said
Umm Said is the heart of Qatar’s industry. Situated 45 km south of Doha on the east coast of the peninsula, it has both a commercial port and an oil-exporting port. There are refineries in Umm Said as well as other industrial establishments producing steel, natural gas liquids, fertilizers, and petrochemicals. Umm Said also has fine beaches.
Khor Al Udaid
Located south of Doha, sand dunes embrace the sea and the surrounding area is covered with many sabkha deposits.
Al Khor
About 57km north of Doha on the east coast, Al Khor is famous for its harbour filled with small craft and fishing boats. It has excellent beaches, an historic tower and interesting mosques.
Madinat Al-Shamal
A relatively new town on the northern tip of the peninsula, Madinat Al-Shamal is about 107km north of Doha. It serves as an administrative centre for a number of coastal villages.
Al Ruwais
Located on the northern tip of the peninsula this town is a fine example of the traditional Bedouin lifestyle as it merges with the modern world.
Al Zubara
Situated just 100 km north west of Doha lies the town of Al Zubara, an important archaeological site famous for its old forts. This fort-turned-museum was constructed in 1938 during the reign of Sheikh Abdullah bin Jassim Al Thani and was erected on the ruins of a neighbouring fort. The fort itself is square-shaped with circular towers in three of its corners and a rectangular tower in the fourth. With high, thick walls, this fort also served as a coast guard station and, until the mid-1980s, was used by the military.
Dukhan
Situated on the west coast of the peninsula, Dukhan is about 84km across the country from Doha. It became important when oil was discovered in the surrounding area. Like Umm Said and Al-Wakrah, the town also has fine beaches.
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Fort and Castles (show details) (hide details)
Murwab Fort
A journey to Qatar’s west coast reveals the impressive 14th century Murwab Fort.
Al-Ghuwair Castle
Al-Ghuwair Castle was built during the early 19th century and is now in ruins. It was constructed with thick walls of stone and mud in a rectangular shape.
Al-Thughb Fort
Located in the northwest part of the country, approximately 110 kilometres from Doha, al-Thughb Fort is rectangular with four towers – a common design for desert forts erected between 17th and 19th centuries.
Al-Rakiyat Fort
Restored in 1988, Al-Rakiyat Fort was constructed sometime during the 17th and 19th centuries. Made of mud and stone, this fort, as with many others in Qatar, is shaped as a rectangle with four corner towers.
Barzan Tower
Originally built as watchtowers, Barzan Tower is the western tower of two that were erected around the Umm Salal Mohammed area. This Tower was built during the late 19th century and its ‘T’ shape is considered a unique architectural style in the Gulf region. It is a rectangle construction with three levels and an external staircase.
Umm Salal Mohammed Fort
Located about 20 kilometres north of Doha and built during the late 19th and early 20th centuries, this fort is distinguishable by its high thick walls and impressive façade. Inside the fort, you will find several examples of architectural and decorative elements.Al Wajbah FortA half hour’s drive outside the city is the mighty Al Wajbah Fort where the forces of the Qatari hero, Sheikh Qasim bin Mohammed Al Thani, defeated the Ottomans in 1893.Al ZubaraOne hundred kilometers north of Doha is the Al Zubara archaeological site. Guests can explore the ruins of 17th and 18th century forts built upon the remains of an ancient Arabian city
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Jabal Al Jassasiya (show details) (hide details)
On the northwestern coast is an area known as Al Jassasiya which, aside from being known for its beautiful, isolated and untouched beaches, has been the discovery sight of rock engravings that date back to prehistoric times. More than 900 carvings were first catalogued in 1974. Jabal Al Jassasiya is the most extensive of several sites in Qatar bearing rock carvings and is considered the most significant. This journey requires a four-wheel vehicle.
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Museums of Qatar (show details) (hide details)
Qatar National Museum
The award-winning Qatar National Museum on the Doha Corniche was designed around the Fariq Al Salata palace of Sheikh Abdullah Bin Qassim Al-Thani and dates back to 1901. It underwent restoration in the early 1970s and the original buildings provided an ideal background in which to display relics of traditional Qatari life, Bedouin artifacts, jewelry, costumes and traditional medicine.
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 Museum
The 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.
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Pearling Rediscovered (show details) (hide details)
The challenges and mysteries of pearling, once the mainstay of the Qatari economy, are revealed by pearl divers at the Qatari Heritage Village in the Rumeilah Park.Find out about the life of the crew on the pearling dhows and the simple equipment they used. Listen to the stories about how the divers located the pearl beds and searched for the best oysters. Watch how divers opened the shells and searched for the pearls. See how the pearls were sorted and stored. This is a fascinating look at a nearly bygone way of life.
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Bird Watching (show details) (hide details)
The greening of wide patches of Qatar in recent years has created a welcoming environment for migratory birds and a permanent home for many other species. Irrigation systems have helped create large gardens, parks and game fields, transforming what was once a hostile environment for many species of wildlife intosafe havens. Migratory birds that previously over flew the desert areas are now returning year after year en rout from summer to winter habitats and visa versa, with several species breeding in Qatar before leaving the heat of the summer. Dedicated birdwatchers have identified well over 250 species, with as many as 25 of them now year round residents. Mangrove plantations on the coast north of Al Khor are popular haunts of local ornithologists. Gulls, cormorants and waders can be spotted along the shorelines, while ducks, geese, mallard, stilt and teal can be seen in the vicinity of Rumeilah Park, Doha Zoo and Doha Golf Club.
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Oryx Farm (show details) (hide details)
The nature reserve in Al Sheehaniya, is home to the largest herd of Arabian Oryx in the world. Visitors can see at first hand the graceful creature that some say is the origin of the legend of the unicorn. The Arabian Oryx was once threatened by extinction; these graceful creatures now live and breed as protected herds in Qatar. The Arabian Oryx is Qatar's national symbol.
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Islands around Qatar (show details) (hide details)
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 Island
Situated 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 Island
This 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 Island
Just 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.
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