The nation of Qatar has numerous tourist attractions for any visitor or native to the country. Rich in history, theres a wide selection of places to visit and sights to see in this Arab nation, whether you have an academic interest in the country, are looking to have some fun, or want to experience life in the luxurious comfort of one of the wealthiest nations in the world.
Doha, the capital of Qatar, is resplendent with hotels, restaurants, and more for the visiting tourist. The Corniche Bay, a seven kilometer long ocean front, is one of the most beautiful sights in the entire peninsula. Featuring paved walking paths and a variety of shops and restaurants, its a must visit for anyone in the capital city. The Al Bida Park, known as the best picnic spot in Doha, is part of the Corniche Bay area, and is host to some of the more upscale businesses of the area.
Also featured in Doha are a number of museums. The Qatar National Museum showcases the culture of the Qatari people; its been in operation since 1901, when it was converted from the former palace of Sheikh Abdullah Bin Qassim Al Thani. The Wind Tower House is host to the Ethnographic Museum, which depicts the history of the development of Doha and Qatar from the emirate it once was to the financial power house it is now. Other museums in Qatar outside of Doha are the Al Khor Museum, located a little over 50 kilometers to the north of Doha, the Al Wakra museum less than 20 kilometers south of the capital, and the Weaponry Museum.
The first of these is a museum dedicated to anthropological studies of Qatar, its life, and its people. The Al Khor museum heavily features information on fishing and marine life, as the city has long been famous for its port activities. The Al Wakra museum likewise has some sections on the life thats grown in Qatar, though it is more focused on preserving artifacts from previous and current Qatari generations, as well as showcasing the architecture and technology of the thousands of years of history of this nation. The aptly named Weaponry Museum has multiple exhibits displaying over twenty-one hundred items, covering a wide range from ancient swords to modern firearms.
There are also other parks and attractions in Qatar, for those looking to spend more time outside and not as comfortable in the confines of a museum. Aladdins Kingdom is an amusement park located in the West Bay region; it boasts 18 different rides suitable for all ages, and is part of a landscaping project that introduced numerous greenspaces as well as an artificial lagoon to the area. Other amenities in the park include a cafeteria, theatre, and separate mosques for separate genders. For animal lovers, the Doha Zoo just off of the Salwa highway has an exotic collection of animals both from the local ecosystems as well as from neighboring and far off countries. While it doesnt feature as heavily on the fun scale as The Kingdom does, the Zoo does have its own recreation and amusement section for kids who are not interested in the wildlife on display.
Qatar also is host to numerous historical landmarks: Dukhan, a little over eighty kilometers from Doha, is the original place in Qatar where oil was found, the singular event that transformed a once meek fishing and pearling nation into the resource powerhouse it is today. Al Zubra is a city that hosts a now disused fort, which was up until the 1980s a functional military base planted square in the middle of an ancient castle.
All in all there are many, many sites to visit in Qatar, probably more than one can see in just one visit! Whether its the beautiful sandy beaches all over the nations shores or the artificially created Palm Tree Island resort, theres a great number of wonderful tourist attractions inside and out of Doha.
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Article Added on Friday, May 8, 2009
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