Rich with modern cosmopolitan vibes with cultures and traditions neatly tucked within its territory, Qatar is a fabulous tourist destination. Qatar has a myriad of fascinating experiences in store for the tourists. From museum to shopping and glitzy affairs of cities to soul stirring calmness of desert islands, Qatar welcomes everyone home.
Qatar”s south-eastern desert is a different world. With Bedouin camps and undulating sand dunes, the desert is the exact place to let down your guards and experience an exhilarating solitude.
To the north-east of the country is one of Qatar”s beautiful rock-carving sites, Al Jassassiya Rock Art Site. Discovered around 1957, the site is a mystery packed heritage site with total of 874 carvings, also known as “petroglyphs”.
With a unique mushroom-like limestone rock formation, Zekreet Limestone is a beautiful blend of wilderness and desert. With the umbrella like limestone formation added with Richard Serra”s East-West/West-East installation and free roaming flamingos, gazelles and oryx, Zekreet is a must visit beauty.
To have a glimpse at Qatar”s history, Al Zubarah Archeological Site is the perfect place. With residential palaces, mosques, courtyard houses, fishermen”s huts, streets, double defensive walls, harbour, canals and cemeteries, Al Zubarah Archeological site takes us back to Qatar”s origin.
Dahl Al Misfir is Qatar”s deepest and largest cave. As it is formed largely by fibrous gypsum, the place emits an ‘otherworldly glow”. The Dahl Al Misfir is adorned with desert roses (a geological phenomena of clusters of roughly rose shaped gypsum crystals). The site is believed to have been formed 325,000 to 500,000 years ago.
Then there is the magical gateway to Qatar. Doha. An ideal place to kick start your Qatar journey. Doha has several iconic places to visit. The Qanat Quartier is a feast to sore eyes. With candy-coloured buildings and turquoise canal, this Venice-inspired neighbourhood takes you to Mediterranean region.
To have a piece of pre-historic Qatar and witness the country”s journey to the modern era, take a stroll through National Museum of Qatar. The museum is sprawled over 430,500 square feet. With exhibition combined of historic objects and contemporary influences, the museum tell stories of ancestors of Qatar and its early cities.
Built in the bank of Wadi Musheirab, Souq Waqif exhibits the perfect blend of old and new. With mud-daubed building holding strong to commerce and gossips, Souq Waqif have it all for you.
How about a long stride to Pearl-Qatar?. Pearl-Qatar is a man made Island. The site is a luxurious go to place. From premium designer boutiques to Mediterranean style yacht-lined marines, the Pearl-Qatar is also known as “Arabian Riviera”.
Qatar”s Katara Cultural Village is a potent mixture of tradition and modernism. Katara Culture Village is Doha”s go-to destination for cuisine, art and culture. The Katara Cultural Village is adorned with Gold Mosque, Amphitheatre, art galleries, and Thuraya Planetarium, Katara Village is an epitome of co-existing of modernism and tradition.
The list is a never ending one. With art, modernism, culture, tradition and technology marvellously nestled into its lap, Qatar is a bewitching beauty to unleash pure joy.
With inputs from VisitQatar.