Highlights of the Day
Today’s journey through Doha was a fusion of tradition and modernity — from Museum of Islamic Art, to futuristic stadiums and World Cup monuments. Doha showed us a city where the past and future intertwine under the brilliant Arabian sun.
Logistics
Accommodation: DoubleTree by Hilton Muscat Qurum
Transportation: Rental Car
✨ Museum of Islamic Art: A Masterpiece by I. M. Pei
The Museum of Islamic Art in Doha was designed by the renowned architect I. M. Pei.
A long avenue lined with palm trees leads to a striking, geometrically stacked, milky-white building. Bathed in sunlight, its surface glows with a soft, gentle sheen.
An arched entrance with Arabesque motifs is set at the center, where the sharp and the curved forms intertwine, exuding a sense of purity and solemn strength. The fountain at the entrance adds a lively touch to the majestic setting.
🕌 Awe at First Sight: The Grand Atrium
Stepping through the doors, we were immediately struck by the grand atmosphere.
A soaring vaulted ceiling, a wide central atrium, and sunlight streaming through enormous windows created a magnificent play of light and shadow, filling the space with both gravity and energy.
The two sweeping semi-circular staircases added a commanding sense of elegance.
🎟️ Ticket Options and Visit Plan
The museum has four floors.
On the first floor are the ticket counters and baggage storage.
There are two types of tickets: QR50 for a single museum, or QR99 for a combo ticket covering three museums — the Museum of Islamic Art, the National Museum of Qatar, and the 3-2-1 Qatar Olympic and Sports Museum.
We chose the combo ticket.
🖼️ Early Islamic Art Treasures
We mainly explored the second floor’s early Islamic art exhibits and the third floor’s displays of textiles and jewelry.
The museum showcases a wide range of artifacts from across the Islamic world, including:
- A 16th-century manuscript of the Ramayana, produced in Lahore, Pakistan, and written in Persian — one of India’s two great epics.
- A 9th-century Qur’an folio from West Asia or North Africa, inscribed in gold.
- A 19th-century Sitara — a door curtain for the Ka‘ba, made in Cairo during the Ottoman period.
The sheer volume and richness of the collection were astonishing.
🖋️ Arabic Calligraphy Competition
The fourth floor features temporary exhibitions.
This time, it showcased the results of a recent Arabic calligraphy competition, with entries full of elegance and creativity.
🛍️ Exploring Souq Waqif
After visiting the museum, we headed to the famous Souq Waqif.
However, we found it closed around noon — the market only reopens at 3:00 PM.
🥪 A Small Adventure Finding Lunch
We decided to find lunch nearby.
Most restaurants along the street were closed. A few were open, but only sold drinks.
While asking around, a kind passerby recommended Monoprix, a nearby supermarket.
There, we found sandwiches for sale. Although we couldn’t dine inside, the staff kindly reheated the food for us, and we enjoyed lunch in our car.
It felt very similar to Oman during Ramadan — quite strict.
🏟️ Landmark Check-ins: The Torch and Khalifa Stadium
After lunch, we went to check off some of Doha’s famous landmarks:
- The Torch Doha: Originally built for the 2006 Asian Games, it is now a luxury hotel. Only guests or patrons dining at the top can enter. During Ramadan, the restaurants were closed at noon, so we could only admire it from outside.
- Khalifa International Stadium: A venue with smooth, soaring lines, symbolizing the wings of a bird in flight — a tribute to the spirit of sports. We could only photograph it from outside.
🌊 A Stroll Along the Corniche
We then drove to the Doha Corniche.
The seaside walk offered beautiful scenery, though the scent of the sea was strong in the air.
🌍 What’s Next?
Stay tuned for Day 16 as we visit National Museum of Qatar, Katara Cultural Village and admire landmark buildings!
Have you ever visited Doha ? What part amazed you the most?
Share your thoughts in the comments—I’d love to hear them!
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