Travel Reference
In-Depth Information
now used as a backdrop for events happening in Souq Waqif and is still in need of a mod-
ern mission in life. Often open to curious tourists, the fort is empty inside. Camels are
grazed outside during
eid
to remind city kids of their Bedouin roots.
Qatar National Museum
MUSEUM
You can catch a glimpse of the Qatar National Museum just off Al-Corniche but it is still
closed for renovation. The museum occupies the
Fariq Al-Salata Palace
, built in 1901 and
used by Sheikh Abdullah bin Mohammed, Qatar's ruler from 1913 to 1949. The lengthy
refurbishment is expected to be completed by the end of 2014; it is already clear that the
museum, with its remarkable desert-rose inspired structures designed by Jean Nouvel, will
be worth waiting for.
Mathaf
GALLERY
(Arab Museum of Modern Art; 44 028 855;
www.mathaf.org
.
q; Off Al Luqta St, Education City; admission to ex-
hibitions QR25; 11am-6pm Sat-Thu, 3-9pm Fri; )
This exceptional new exhibition space was
opened in 2010 providing a home for international art with an Arab connection. Housed in
an old school near Education City, the building was redesigned by French architect Jean-
Françoise Bodin. The venue hosts a variety of exhibitions, workshops and lectures
through the winter months.
Heritage House
HISTORIC BUILDING
(Al-Najada Shopping Centre courtyard, just off Grand Hamad St)
Formerly an ethnographic museum, this
restored traditional house was built in 1935 and offers the best chance to see a
badghir
(wind tower). The square wind tower was commonly used as a form of pre-electric air-
conditioning throughout the Gulf, sucking fresh air into the house and channelling it into
the ground-floor rooms. It is closed to visitors but is worth a look from the outside.
Weaponry Museum
MUSEUM
OFFLINE MAP
( 44 867 473; btwn Al-Luqta St & Makkah St; by prior arrangement)
This small museum has
an impressive collection of arms and armour, some from the 16th century. However, what
makes this museum worth a visit is the dazzling array of gold and silver swords and dag-
gers, including a
khanjar
(ceremonial dagger) that belonged to Lawrence of Arabia. The
museum is open to the public by prior appointment or with a tour guide.
