Al Koot Fort was built in the Ottoman period, in 1880, when Doha was little more than a village. At the time this would have been at the outskirts of the town. The Ottomans had been welcomed by Sheikh Qassim, although by the end of the century they were at war together: see The Rise of the Qatar Ruling Family for details. The fort is currently shut to visitors.
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Tuesday, January 30, 2007
Al Koot fort
Monday, January 29, 2007
Qatar Visitor Glossary
What is...? Essential words for living in Qatar
A
Adhan - Muslim prayer call
Allah – God
Al-Thanis – the ruling family of Qatar. See The rise of the Qatari ruling family
Aspire – a classy sporting academy in the Sport City. Tests the whole of Qatar’s young population to find the most promising athletes of the future.
B
Bedouin – formerly nomadic tribespeople. Some of the older Qatari Bedouins will have spent their early life travelling in the desert as nomads.
C
Corniche – seafront. The Corniche in Doha is probably the nicest place in Qatar, curving round the bay for several kilometres. Trees provide shade, with grass to lie on and flowers and fountains to look at, and its several play areas should keep the kids entertained.
D
Doha – the capital city of Qatar.
E
Emir (also spelt Amir) - the ruler of Qatar, currently the moderate and modernising Sheik Hamad Bin Khalifa Al Thani.
Eid – Eid means feast, and refers to festivals: Eid al Fitr (celebrated at the end of Ramadan) and Eid Al Adha, which remembers the time when Abraham nearly sacrificed his son. For more details see Holidays, festivals and important dates in Qatar.
Estimara – road permit. Cars older than three years must pass an annual road test before being issued their permit.
Exit permit – required by all residents (except dependants) to leave the country. See Qatar Visas.
H
Hadith – refers to the sayings and actions of Mohammed, and forms the basis of Sharia law.
Hajj – the annual pilgramage to Mecca. Every Muslim who is able to do so should make the pilgrimage at least once in their lives.
Halal – anything that is permissible under Islam.
Hamour – a local fish – very tasty!
Haraam – forbidden under Islam (e.g. pork, alcohol, music).
Health card – entitles residents to free or discounted health treatment. See Healthcare in Qatar.
I
ID card – you obtain this after completing your residence permit. By law you should carry this around (although I’ve never, ever been asked for it), although other forms of ID such as your passport or Qatar Driving licence are also acceptable.
Imam – a religious leader, or someone who leads the prayers. It has also been used to refer to the Caliphs of Arabia, the rulers who initially followed Mohammed.
G
Gulf Times – Qatar’s longest running English language newspaper. It’s a good source of second hand cars and goods.
K
Khaleeji music – popular form of Gulf music.
Khalifas – the former ruling family of Qatar, who conquered and moved to Bahrain in 1783, but retained some control over Qatar until the intervention of the British in the nineteenth century. They maintained their claim to parts of the country, including Zubara, and in 1986 shots were exchanged between gun boats. The territorial dispute was finally resolved by the International Court of Justice in 2001, with an island being ceded to Bahrain which in turn relinquished its claim to parts of the mainland.
Khor El Adaid – The Inland Sea. Connected to the sea, this salt-water lake is a popular camping destination, but is only accessible with off-road vehicles.
L
Land cruiser – weapon of mass destruction, far more dangerous than the camel it replaced, but no less loved by its owner.
Liquor permit – required to purchase alcohol at the Qatar Distribution Company.
M
Majlis – a meeting place for men or women ( but not both together), originally a tent.
Mobile phone – has replaced the sword in the affection of the Qataris, but it is just as lethal when combined with land cruiser (see above).
O
Oud – Arabian lute (see http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Oud).
P
Pearl, The – huge real estate development, where expats can buy property. See Buying property in Qatar.
Peninsula – another local newspaper – rather more critical than the Gulf Times.
Q
Qatar Airways – a fast growing airline that, as it frequently reminds us, is one of only four “five star” airlines in the world.
Qatar distribution company – monopoly owners of the only two alcohol outlets in the country – also sells to hotels.
Q-league – Qatar’s top football division, with 10 teams playing within it. See Qatar Football.
Qatar Riyal – Qatar currency. 1 riyal is worth about 25 US cents. The riyal is currently pegged to the US dollar.
QBS – a local radio station which broadcasts in English and French.
Q-post – Qatar’s postal service, currently holding onto at least three of my parcels. Even though they only have to put mail in a box (there is no organised system of addresses), they still seem to have immense trouble delivering on time. One article in the Gulf Times suggested an average of 5 weeks for a postcard to cross the city (i.e. move across the room from one box to another!)
Qur’an, (also written as Al-Quran, or Koran) – Islam’s religious text. Muslims believe
it was handed complete from God to Mohammed . The evidence for this claim is partly based on their assertion that Mohammed was illiterate, and would therefore not have been able to compose such a great piece of work.
Q-tel – Qatar’s telecommunications service, which will be opened to competition for the first time this year (2007).
R
Rababa (also spelled rebaba) – a one string musical instrument used by the Bedouin.
Ramadan – a month of fasting that forms one of the pillars of Islam.
Robot jockeys – have been used to replace the child jockeys who used to race camels. See Camel Racing for pictures and details.
S
Sadew weaving – Bedouin weaving making use of camel, goat and sheep hair.
Sharia law – Islamic law. See Two Laws
Sport city – impressive sporting facility which includes Aspire academy and the fifty-thousand seater Khalifa stadium, where the closing and opening ceremonies of the Asian Games were held.
Sunni – a branch of Islam. Qatar is predominantly Sunni.
Supreme Education Council http://www.english.education.gov.qa/section/sec/ – runs part of the education system.
Shia – the second biggest branch of Islam after Sunni. Unlike Sunni Muslims, Shia maintain that Ali was the first Caliph after Mohammed, and believe in following the guidance of Mohammed’s family.
Shisha – a water pipe used to smoke flavoured tobacco. The water has a cooling, smoothing effect on the tobacco and the effect is milder and more pleasant than smoking a cigarette.
Sheikh – Sheikh literally means respected older person, but it can also be used to address members of a royal family.
Souq – also spelt souk/soug/soukh. This essentially means market, but some souqs resemble more modern shopping malls. See Souq Waqif for pictures of a more traditional souq.
T
Thobe – a long white robe worn by men.
U
Umrah (also spelt Omrah) – a pilgrimage to Mecca that can be undertaken at any time. Unlike the Hajj, it is not compulsory.
W
Wahabism – an Islamic movement. Its adherents believe in following directly the words and rulings of Mohammed. Qatar is predominantly Wahabi, although it is not practised as strictly as in Saudi Arabia. There has been some suggestion that Qatar may have adopted Wahabism in order to placate their larger neighbour.
Z
Zakat – money that is donated to the poor and needy, those who are in debt, those who have converted to Islam and others. The third of the five pillars of Islam.
Zam-zam – water from the Zam-Zam well in Mecca, which is believed by many to be blessed. The Zam-zam well was believed to have been revealed to Hagar, Abraham's wife, when she was seeking water for her baby son in the desert.
Zubarah – former base of the Khalifa family, now rulers of Bahrain.
Also see:
A beginner’s guide to Arabic
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Saturday, January 27, 2007
The Hyatt plaza
This shopping centre will probably soon be eclipsed by the larger Villagio being built next door, although there seem to be enough shoppers in Doha to go around all the malls. Never-the-less, Hyatt Plaza is a pleasant enough place to shop, with some classy shops and a light airy feel to it when you stroll in. With Villagio coming up next door, they try hard too - I noticed new shops and attractions on my last trip and they even have a magazine: Hyatt Plaza Style.
Location
This is one place you really can’t miss. Just go past the huge Khalifa stadium, and the Villagio 
development, and you’ll see a giant shopping trolley outside the complex, just to make sure you don’t get the wrong idea.
Parking
There’s parking for a 1000 cars. We also saw a few taxis drive in and out.
Shops
There’s the shops that appear everywhere in Doha such as the Body shop, but there’s also some less common ones. The Japanese Daiso is the nearest thing Qatar has to a pound shop, and what most of my friends seem to find most interesting. This is a shop with tonnes and tonnes of cheap stuff, and everything unmarked (and most of it is unmarked) costs 6 riyals. Some of it is junk, of course, but there’s also some very interesting things such as traditional Japanese toys. This shop is located opposite Mr Price and above a Homes R Us. Hyatt Plaza also a big focus on clothes, make-up and jewellery: there are many small stalls in the middle of the complex selling jewellery and there’s a large Paris Gallery selling perfume and make-up.
Supermarket
The supermarket here is Giant Stores. I’ve seen one or two scrubby looking Giant stores in town but this place is really quite good. It has a wide range of goods including computers and other electronics, the food counters are good and there’s a cafĂ© to relax in the middle.
Food
There’s the normal food court where you can have your fill of American and Arabic junk food. There’s also an Italian restaurant, Il Foro Romana, which is set in the middle of the hall surrounded by mock broken columns, several cafes including, of course, the inescapable Starbucks’. (Are they on the moon yet?).
Kids
This is quite a good place for kids. In addition to Mothercare, there is a toy store, an Early Learning centre, a Cute Cuts hairdresser and a "Jungle Zone", which resembles a miniature theme park with rides such as "jungle train" and “mountain coaster". You can also rent out rooms for children's parties, with Hyatt Plaza providing all the food and entertainment. In addition, on our most recent visit Hyatt Plaza had added inflatable slides, a bouncy castle and other amusements to an area of the parking lot outside.
Website: www.hyattplaza.com
Also see:
Gondolas in Villagio
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Thursday, January 25, 2007
Tuesday, January 23, 2007
Discovering Qatar: by Frances Gillespie
ISBN 99921-70-32-8 Sponsored by RasGas
148 pp
Detailed information about Qatar, and especially about Qatar’s culture and history, is not easily available. So it was a real pleasure to discover Discovering Qatar, which deals with both the history and natural history of Qatar.
The book starts with an overview of the history of Qatar, from the first signs of people to the recent development of the country. It then focuses on specific areas of the country – and their history – and on the former lives of the Qatari people, so different until a few short years ago. The second half of the book explores the natural history of the peninsula, with sections on many of the land and sea creatures that inhabit Qatar. The book is illustrated throughout with superb photography.
The author and long term Doha resident, Frances Gillespie, is a former President of the Qatar Natural History Society, which organizes trips and lectures about Qatar, and coordinator of the Qatar Archeology Project . She has contributed to several books, and is a regular writer for the Gulf Times. In Discovering Qatar she has succeeded in producing a book which is full of detail but never fails to be fascinating.
Unfortunately Discovering Qatar is not yet available on Amazon, but you can pick it up in Qatar at Carrefour and local book shops, or email the author directly on gillespi[at]qatar.net.qa .
Also see Books, book stores and libraries in Qatar
See Qatar Visitor Bookstore for more books on Qatar.
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Sunday, January 21, 2007
Heron
A heron hunts for food in the mangrove swamps in Al Wakra.
Links
Charlie's bird blog - a description of a day's "birding" in Qatar.
Birds fly over Doha's Corniche
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Friday, January 19, 2007
Qatar's early history
Qatar’s early history is characterized by uncertainty and speculation. However, with the oldest of Qatar’s archaeological sites, Al Shagra, dating back to 6000 BC, the first habitation that historians can be certain of takes place at the end of the Stone Age.
One theory is that these early inhabitants were probably pastoral nomads, searching for grazing for their animals at a time when the climate was more temperate. An alternative theory is that they were hunter gatherers living on what cereals and plants they could gather as well as animals and sea creatures such as gazelle, onager (wild ass), hares, turtle and dugongs. They were probably also fisherman who utilized small and basic boats, and may have been involved in pearl diving. Shards of Ubud pottery, dating back to 5000 BC and originating from Iraq, suggests that some sort of trading network also existed.
Originally, it was thought that there may have been continuous habitation from this period on. Now it seems likely that there were long periods when Qatar was uninhabited. Findings from a site in Al Khor, which had previously been assumed to be from a wide range of cultures and times, have now been proved to be from between 5600 and 5300 BC. After 4000 BC the climate became drier and harsher, and it would have been difficult for nomads with cattle to survive. Dr Kullweit, quoted in a recent article in the Gulf Times (see sources below), suggested that these nomads may gradually have adopted camels and become the Bedouin of Arabia.
Later on Qatar was probably part of Dilmun, a Bronze Age kingdom which grew rich by providing a trading link between Mesopotamia and the Indus valley in India. Dimun was mentioned in the Summerian myth of the flood, and was later said to be the location of the survivors of the flood. Many archaeological sites associated with Dilmum are located on nearby Bahrain, but the kingdom covered the Eastern coast of Arabia, and Barbar Pottery, manufactured in Bahrain circa, 2450 – 1700 BC has been found in Ras Abrouq.
It is not clear exactly when Dilmun declined in importance, but it is probably linked to the collapse of the Indus civilisation in the second millennium and a decrease in the copper trade it controlled. Following Dilmun, Kassites, who had taken control of Babylon, were present in at least parts of Qatar. They used a tiny island in the bay of Al Khor to produce the royal colours of purple and scarlet by crushing sea snails, and Kassite ceramics have been discovered in Al Khor itself.
Ancient historians (Itabo and Herotodus) believed that Phoenicians were the first inhabitants of the area. While they could not have been the first (their civilization existed from around 3000 BC, and they only became a significant power from around 1100 BC), it’s interesting that they were famous for their purple die – produced from sea snails.
The Amiri Diwan website suggests that there was inhabitation during Roman and Greek times. A stone house has been founded in Ras Abrouq: this may have been part of a temporary fishing station. After this period there seems to have been no evidence of habitation for some centuries, although there may well have been nomads moving through the land: the camel had been domesticated and utilised for travelling in the third millennium BC. The Amiri Diwan website believes that Qatar again produced purple die, as well as pearls, in the third century AD, and acted as a trading link between West and East at the time of the Sassanids, a Persian Empire which existed from 226-651 AD.
Visitors to Qatar can see stone age tools and arrow heads in the Qatar Natural History Museum. Rock carvings can be seen in Jabal Al Jassasiya, and ancient burial mounds in Omm Slal Ali date to the third millennium BC.
Also see The Rise of the Qatar Ruling Family.
Sources
Books
Gillespie, F. (2006) Discovering Qatar
Gotting, F. (1996) Healing hands of Qatar
Articles
Gillespie, F. (2007) in Gulf Times (January 12 2007)
Expert puts spotlight on region's rich archeological past
Websites
Amiri Diwan: History of Qatar http://www.diwan.gov.qa/english/qatar/qatar_history.htm
Wikipedia: Dilmun http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dilmun
National Geographic: Who were the Phoenicians? Wikipedia: Sassanid Empire: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sassanid_Empire
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Wednesday, January 17, 2007
Rumeila Park
Click here to listen to the sounds of birds in Rumeila Park
Rumeila Park is located on Corniche Road and has probably the best outdoor children's play area in Doha, with slides, swings and climbing frames all placed on safe sand. There's a large water garden, with shops built around it, an open air theatre, a skateboarding half pipe (which children tend to slide down rather than skate up) and a couple of cafes. The heritage village is located at the Southern end, and showcases a traditional village plus arts and crafts; annoyingly, this is only open during festivals and special occasions. In addition to the water, grass and trees, attract birds, and you can see them play on the ground or listen to their song. There is also a great view across the water to Doha's ever-changing skyline.
Also see Blogging in Sheraton Park
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Tuesday, January 16, 2007
Qatar fencing
Once again the clash of swords will be heard in Qatar, only this time it won’t be feuding desert tribes battling in the desert. The 4th Qatar Fencing Grand Prix (epee), with a total prize of $31,000, will be starting on the 19th January and running until the 21st. The event is being run by the Qatar Fencing Federation (www.qatarfencing.com), will consist of both individual and group events and will take place in the Aspire Academy in Sport City. On Friday, heats for the individual competition will start from 8.30, and on Saturday the competition will start at 9.00, culminating in the individual finals at 18.00. The team events will take place on Sunday, again starting at 9.00 and finishing at 18.00.
Contact details
Address: Qatar Fencing Federation
PO Box 22966 Doha, Qatar
Tel: +974 4838391/2
Fax: +974-4838314
Email: qff@olympic.qa
(When I rang to see how much the tickets were, the federation didn't know, although they thought it would probably be free).
Also see: Qatar football Clubs and societies in Qatar
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Qatar Grand Masters
The Qatar Grand Masters will be held from the 24th to the 27th January this month at the Doha Golf Club, with practice on the 21 and 22nd and the pro-am on the 23rd. Players competing for a total pot of $2.4 million will include Adam Scott, Sergio Garcia, Luke Donald and last year's winner Retief Goosen.
You don't have to be a golf lover to enjoy the event, as a walk round the superbly maintained grounds, not to mention the ability to sit outside in the sun and enjoy some of the free flowing alcohol from the beer tent, make a change from much of the rest of Qatar. At least, assuming the weather has warmed up by then!
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Saturday, January 13, 2007
Swimming in the sea in Qatar – Is it safe?
In a country like Qatar, it’s truly a relief to cool off in the sea – and there are any number of almost deserted beaches in which to do so. But is it truly safe to swim in Qatar’s seas?
Before I frighten you with a list of hazards, I should mention that I (along with everyone else I know) go swimming in the sea all the time, I take my two year old daughter with me and I have heard of no fatalities in the two years I have lived in Qatar. However, I do wear wetsuit boots to protect my feet from both sharp coral and the possibility of stepping on a stone fish or sting ray.
Potential Hazards
Glass
Barbecuing is popular in Qatar. Unfortunately, many people do not clean up after themselves and every public beach seems to have broken glass hiding among the sand. It's best to avoid bare feet even before you get in the sea.
Currents
Should you get stuck in a current, the advice remains the same as ever – don’t swim against the current. Either swim across the current, or wait until the current stops and then swim back to shore.
Jellyfish
There are both large and small species of jellyfish. I have only experienced mild irritation to the skin from the smaller types while fishing (waist deep) in the sea, but more poisonous species do exist, and some people on Qatar Living have reported very painful stings.
Sea snakes
Although there are several species of sea snakes living in coastal waters in Qatar, none of them are aggressive. Although poisonous, they do not represent any serious danger unless disturbed.
Stonefish and Lionfish
Qatar has two types of these deadly fish: stone fish (synanceia) and false stone fish (pseudosynanceia). Both normally occur around rocks, and as they have very effective natural camouflage they are extremely difficult to spot. Stone fish poison is very strong and stings can be fatal. Lion fish are also extremely venomous, but are more visible than Stone fish. In the event of someone being stung by any of these fish, get them to a hospital as soon as possible.
Stingrays
Despite recent publicity, stingrays are rarely fatal. Incidents happen when the fish is taken by surprise. I tend to splash about when entering the sea, to let the fish know I am coming - occasionally you may see the fish swim away as you approach. In the event of someone being stung, immerse the affected area in water as hot as the person can bear. The person should then be taken for immediate medical treatment.
Sharks
The Persian Gulf has a huge range of sharks, from small harmless reef sharks and nurse sharks to hammerheads, tiger sharks and great whites. Despite this, it's really not something to worry about. Shark attacks are extremely rare, and sharks have more to fear from humans than we have to fear from them (see this article).
Jet-skis
The threat you should worry most about it! Riding jet-skis in Qatar, like cars and motorbikes, is an opportunity for young men to behave like complete idiots, and youths compete to show off their skills and bravery.
This may seem a scary list, but as long as you avoid those jet skiers and take reasonable precautions you should be okay. You may also be lucky enough to see other, less scary species but equally fascinating species such as dolphins, turtles and the rare dugong or sea cow.
Also see:
Qatar Sea Slugs
Discovering Qatar by France Gillespie
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Grand Hamad Street
Grand Hamad Street is a broad road splitting the centre of Doha in two as it sweeps towards the Corniche. Off Grand Hamad Street you will find the branches of all the major banks as well as Khaleej Insurance. As you drive towards the Corniche, on your right you'll find the bus station, Kathindo - an Indonesian restaurant and shop - and, a little further back, the Gold Souq. On your left, in 2 grey buildings, you have Souq Al Ahmed. This souq has, in addition to other merchandise, a large range of clothing and tailors, while nearby Souq Najada mobile phone and telecommunications shops.
.
Also see Ambitious plans for Doha
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