This quiet Arab nation is now under the limelight due to the 2023 World Cup. But beyond football, there is a wealth of culture, art and heritage waiting to be unearthed...
‘Never go back’ – that’s what they say, isn’t it? Don’t return to somewhere that you loved, because you’ll never recapture the magic. Imagine my glee, then, to find that vats of syrupy dumplings and saffron-spiced chicken still steamed on rickety tables in Doha’s dizzying Souq Waqif – and still tasted as good as they did a decade ago. And that the tiny stall where I first honed my haggling skills was still laden with long-spouted teapots, dusty coins and strings of gleaming pearls – all as irresistible as I remembered. Somehow, in the go-getting, ever-changing Gulf, I had stumbled across a time capsule.
For years, Qatar was my little secret, a weekend retreat from expat life in nearby Dubai: I relished the quiet traditionalism of this diminutive nation, and its passion for heritage, culture and art. Back then, its landscape was dominated by desert, but these days it dazzles with five-star hotels, mega-malls and a forest of skyscrapers. Should I have stayed away, keeping my rose-tinted recollections intact? Common sense said yes, but prudence is a poor match for curiosity – so I’d booked to return, after more than a decade away.
Souq Wakif (Shutterstock)
“I bet you don’t recognise me, do you?” chuckled Saad Ismail Al Jassim, pointing to the young bicep-flexing bodybuilder in a black-and-white photo, its corners curled with age. I’d stepped into Al Jassim’s jewellery shop in Souq Waqif, lured by the polished pearls in the window – a little diversion from my trip down memory lane. “I lay on rusty nails, walked on broken glass, and water-skied with women on my shoulders,” he continued with a grin, “and that was just an average day.” I must have looked doubtful, because this twinkly-eyed old gent thrust an album of newspaper clippings into my hands: proof that he was, indeed, the scantily-clad muscleman in the photo – and even more remarkably, a former pearl diver. “I may be 87 now, but I still work out,” he said slapping his chest. “Pearl diving made me invincible! Once you’ve survived that, you can do anything.”
On my first visits to Doha, Qatar’s capital, I had walked straight past Al Jassim’s shop – but now I was in the company of a true national hero. You see, before its oil riches were unearthed in 1939, this impoverished country relied on the perilous harvest of pearls: with rocks tied to their feet, divers would scour the seabed for oysters, holding their breath for minutes on end – before being yanked, blue-faced and gasping, to the surface. The gems were sold, their quality determining the crew’s feast or famine. How does Al Jassim’s life compare now? “It’s unrecognisable,” he said, shrugging but still smiling. “I wish I’d had an iPhone to capture it all; soon, young people won’t believe our stories.”
Searching for pearls (Shutterstock)
Al Jassim’s fears are shared by many Qataris – but the National Museum of Qatar aims to assuage them. Modelled on the shape of a ‘desert rose’ crystal, its asymmetric white exterior is a tribute to the nation’s foundations, designed by famous French architect Jean Nouvel. It looks bombastic, futuristic – but its exhibits focus firmly on the past, documenting everything from bloody tribal battles to the rise (and demise) of the pearl trade, and finally the transformational discovery of oil. Alongside its archaeological finds and vintage curios, I was captivated by the immersive cinematography and VR tech. It’s history, yes, but with Hollywood flair – befitting a rags-to-riches tale of this magnitude.
And it is one of many: in recent years, Qatar has opened a glittering crop of new cultural institutions, including Doha’s Msheireb Museums. “Don’t be fooled – it’s not as old as it looks,” advised my guide Samruiddin as we stepped into the cool, tree-shaded courtyard of Radwani House, one of Msheireb’s four history-focused sites. Its curvaceous archways and intricate stone-carved mashrabiya (lattice windows) make a convincing illusion, but those are words to live by in Qatar: even the crumbliest-looking landmark is likely a recent construction. However, there are still some ancient treasures to be explored, such as the abandoned town of Al Zubarah, an 1800s trading and pearling hub. Buried under the sand, remnants of its palaces and mosques survived centuries of harsh sun and salty air, and are now a UNESCO World Heritage site, one hour’s drive north from the capital.
In October 2022, Doha’s Museum of Islamic Art reopened after extensive renovation: a sparkling new home for one of the Middle East’s greatest collections. But you don't have to set foot in any gallery to see that Qatar adores – indeed, is obsessed with – art of all kinds. Huge outdoor sculptures dot its capital, such as Tom Claassen’s golden ‘Falcon’ (outside the airport), and Louise Bourgeois’s 30ft spider ‘Maman’ (at the Qatar National Convention Centre). Such is the nation’s wealth, that it can buy, commission and display art as it wishes; the royal family have fabulously adventurous tastes, and pieces by local talents feature as prominently as those by the likes of Damien Hirst and Urs Fischer. My hotel, Mondrian Doha, even felt like a living gallery, thanks to its voluptuous sculptures and whimsical murals in the style of Arabic miniatures. Up on the top floor, I swam laps of its ludicrously photogenic swimming pool, lit by a huge stained-glass dome and surrounded by bold chessboard-style tilework, the dramatic creation of Dutch designer Marcel Wanders.
Some critics dismiss Qatar’s burgeoning arts institutions as a bid to buy rather than earn its cultural clout – but that’s a lazy assumption, said Nancy Um, professor of art history at New York’s Binghamton University. We had met by pure serendipity at adjoining tables in Damasca One, an excellent Syrian restaurant in Souq Waqif. “To me, this region is the future of heritage,” she enthused, having spent decades exploring the region’s creative legacy, and now in town to lead a week-long art study trip. “The Gulf’s institutions are often critiqued for being too new, too flashy, and for purchasing their incredible collections,” she continued, “but that is crazy! As we speak, many of Europe’s top museums are being raked over the coals for the troubling origins of their pieces – so how could they be more ‘authentic’ than the Gulf’s?”
Doha's Museum of Islamic Art (Shutterstock)
The National Convention Centre (Shutterstock)
Far from being a let-down, my return to Qatar was actually proving richer, more compelling, than I’d experienced before. And while the nation’s cultural scene is blossoming, so too is its adventurous side, with new wildlife walks and kayaking trips in Al Thakira Mangroves, a wetland reserve that fills with pink flamingos between November and April. I relished its fresh coastal breeze, sending tiny fish darting with every dip of my paddle.
On my final day, Samruiddin and I ventured west on the desert motorway to Zekreet, close to where British oil prospectors first struck gold in 1939. His local knowledge had been invaluable in finding Qatar’s humbler charms, and unpicking its complex history – but now, his driving skills were being put to the test. “Hmm, I know we will have an adventure,” he said, gripping the steering wheel against the raging wind. “But whether it will be a good one or bad one, I’m not so sure.” Sand hammered against the windows like rain, whipping up from the dunes and erasing the (thankfully quiet) motorway from view. For me, this freak sandstorm was a reminder that for all its awesome architecture, Qatar is far wilder than it looks. But just as quickly as it arrived, the squall lifted and the sky cleared, the remnant dust billowing in our wake.
Al Thakira Mangroves (Shutterstock)
After an hour, we pulled off the motorway beside a sign marked ‘camel underpass’ – a tunnel under the road for free-roaming dromedaries – and crunched onto a dirt track. At first glance, the landscape looked flat and featureless, peppered with rusting oil drums, but distant rock escarpments peeped through the heat haze. As we sped towards them, their strange top-heavy forms became clear: like larger-than-life waves, their concave flanks crested over an ocean of fine golden sand. And then, weirder yet, four huge steel monoliths rose up between them, a 1km-long queue of black rectangular voids: clearly man-made, yet just as raw and unnerving as their surroundings.
The creation of artist Richard Serra, ‘East-West/West-East’ is art liberated from the gallery, a sculpture devoid of exhibition notes, gift shop or WiFi. Out in the desert, away from the roar of the city, it invites big thoughts: musings on isolation, resilience and humankind’s relationship with nature. “I’ve been here countless times, but it still takes my breath away,” said Samruiddin, as we walked between the 14-metre-tall steel plates, our t-shirts billowing in the hot dry wind.
I could only nod in agreement, marvelling at the sheer scale and ambition of this artwork writ large – an irresistible metaphor for its home nation. I’d come to look for the past, to seek out my old haunts: but though Qatar is proud of its roots, going ‘back’ is an impossibility here. Just like its star-studded architecture, its mighty museums, and its barrel-chested bodybuilder in his emporium of pearls, Qatar always has a surprise up its sleeve – even when you think you’ve seen it all.
(Shutterstock)
Getting There: Qatar Airways flies six times a day from London’s Heathrow and Gatwick airports direct to Doha’s Hamad International Airport (HIA), and onwards to more than 140 destinations globally. Return flights from Heathrow to Doha priced from £783 per person.
Getting Around: The author was guided by Doha Magic Adventures, which offers both day trips and tailormade itineraries throughout Qatar, focusing on heritage, arts and adventure.
Beyond Qatar’s main cities, public transport is very limited. Travellers planning to explore further should book a tour guide or long-distance transfer, or arrange car hire: both Avis and Hertz have branches at HIA. Metered taxis can be flagged down in the street, and offer excellent value.
For more information and trip-planning advice, see visitqatar.qa.
What to wear: Qatar is a conservative Muslim nation: shoulders and midriffs should be covered, and sheer fabrics avoided. Hotels operate a more relaxed dress code; poolside swimwear is fine, but bring a cover-up for lunch, etc. Qataris adore fashion and are impeccable dressers – so pack accordingly if you’re heading out on the town, or visiting somewhere special for dinner.
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