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Forts
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FORTS |
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Qatar has a great history to share with the world.
There are several forts which still stand to this
day which date back to hundreds of years. You could
say this is an archaeologists dream. Entry to all
forts is free so why not visit a couple during your
visit? Click into this section for information on Al
Wajbah, Zubara, Al Rakiyat, Umm Salal, Windtower
House, and Doha Fort. |
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MUSEUMS |
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You'd be amazed at the amount of museums that are
sprouting up around Qatar. Most are quite cozy, but
each have a story to tell. Qatar's history is quite
new, but it's still a great idea to travel around to
each one and take educate yourself when it comes to
Islamic Art (in the world's largest Islamic Art
Museum), Arabian Weaponry, and much more. |
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PARKS |
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Something that's great to do when you want to unwind
and spend some time at a park or even by the sea.
Granted during summer time, certain times of the day
can be too hot for any human to enjoy, but that
still leaves so many other months of the year. Add
to the fact that it feels absolutely great when a
soft breeze wisps across your face and you've got a
relaxing day out. |
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TOURS |
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So you're a touring person huh? There's plenty of
guides and tours to go through in order to enjoy a
great day out. Tours include city tours, safaris,
mosque tours, activity tours, and then you've got
the wide open sea! We'll do our best to cover
everything there is to enjoying the sights hassle
free. Be prepared though because you might find that
you're addicted to 4WDs. |
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Umm Salal Mohammed
Fort |
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The fort is located
around 20km north of Doha and was built in
the late 19th century. The fort is unique in
design and in structure due to it's artistic
walls. The fort is next to Barzan Tower,
which is the western tower of two that were
built as watchtowers. Don't confuse this
Barzan Tower with the one in Doha Westbay.
The one in the Westbay is a modern
skyscraper built as a homage to the
original. Entrance here is free of charge,
but since it's essential a 'ruin' please
make sure to take care of the place and
respect the historical area.
Location:
Umm Salal Mohammed
Hours: 8am-1pm - 4pm-7pm |
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Al Zubara
Fort |
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It's quite far,
actually, it's over 100km from Doha, but
it's definately one of Qatar's famous ones.
It's quite new. It was built in 1938 as a
symbol by Sheikh Abdullah Al Thani and was
built intentionally next to an older fort.
It was originally a cost guard station and
was used up to the 1980's. You'll notice
that this fort has something odd about it,
one of the towers is rectangular rather than
round like the rest; it's actually the
opposite of how old towers used to be. Be
sure to visit Al Zubara, but go in a 4WD
since the path isn't ideal for a standard
car.
Location:
Al Zubara
Hours: 8am-1pm - 4pm-7pm |
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Wind Tower
House |
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Can you guess what this
is? Yep as the name says, it's a Wind Tower.
The design is iconic and you'll see that it
has inspired alot of architecture in modern
buildings. It's on Grand Hamad street which
is famous for being a banking district but
also for the Souq Wagif which is constantly
expanding. Believe it or not, it's found
enclosed within Najada Shopping Plaza (which
might be demolished soon). These structures
are amazing because of their natural cooling
methods. Since electricity wasn't available
in the days of yore, these towers funneled
wind through the tower and circulated it
through the house.
Location:
Grand Hamad Street
Hours: na |
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Doha Fort |
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A Military fort turned
museum. This was once used as a guard and
police post for the nearby Souq Wagif. Go
there for a visit and find exhibitions of
paintings, handicrafts, weavings, gypsum,
carvings, and wodden door pieces. Entrance
to this is free of charge.
Location:
Al Jasra
Hours: 7am - 12pm - 4pm-9pm |
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Al Rakiya Fort |
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According to
'Explorer', this tower was constructed
between the 17th and 19th centuries, however
it was restored in 1988. The tower is
completely made of stone and mud and has a
rectangular shape. It's the opposite of
Zubara Fort. It's located off of a coastal
road between Al Zubara and Madinat Al Shamal
(The North City). It's also located near a
camel farm so you'll have an added bonus
experience when visiting it.
Location:
Al Rakiya
Hours: 8am-1pm |
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Al Wajbah Fort |
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Wajbah means 'meal' in
Arabic, so it's quite an unusual name for a
fort. It has very thick walls and is thought
to be one of the oldest in the country. This
is a fort to be proud of because it's where
the Qatari's defeated the Ottoman forces in
1893. The fort has two large towers and
there's a display of weaponry and details of
the fort's history. As usual, entry is free!
Now go to this great icon!
Location:
Al Rayyan - Emir's Palace
Hours: 8am - 1pm |
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