Bilkent International: Reasons Why You Should Visit Doha!

Hello guys, today and in this post I’ll share with you some information about Doha, Qatar and the places that you should visit. As you know I was born and raised in Qatar, for this reason this city means the world to me and I think its a city thats worth visiting.

Luckily Turkish citizens don’t need a visa for entering the country anymore. So you can come whenever you want and all you need to do is book a ticket, pack your bag and go to the airport. 😉 The distance from Turkey to Qatar is around 1495 miles, which is 3 hours and 40 minutes.

Following the Ottoman rule, Qatar became a British protectorate in the early 20th century until gaining independence in 1971. It has been ruled by the House of Thani since the early 19th century. Sheikh Jassim bin Mohammed Al Thani was the founder of the State of Qatar. It is a hereditary monarchy and its head of state is Emir Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad Al Thani.

Qatar is a high income economy and is a developed country, backed by the world’s third largest natural gas reserves and oil reserves. The country has the highest per capita income in the world and it will host the 2022 FIFA World Cup, becoming the first Arab country to do so.

Doha is gradually becoming a heaven on earth, a metropolis is rich in culture and sprinkled with stunning attractions. With its rapid growth and transformation, Doha may become the most visited city in the Middle East, surpassing Dubai. If you are planning a vacation filled with many exciting activities and sight-seeing, you should probably visit Doha. From architectural wonders, fine restaurants, amazing shopping malls and bustling markets, the city has many things for you to experience.

Well, there’s plenty of stuff to keep you up on your toes during your stay in Doha! Take a peek at some of people’s favorite attractions in Doha.

• The Pearl-Qatar is situated offshore of the city’s West Bay Lagoon area in Doha. This is a man-made island, shaped like a pearl featuring luxury villas and apartments, hotels and resorts, shopping malls and entertaining centres. This was the first place in Qatar where guests were give access to play around with development.  It is a very beautiful place to be and you can shop in the high-end retail shops and eat in some great restaurants.

• The Ancient Souq Waqif in the middle of Doha’s transformation sits the ancient Souq Waqif, which literally means ‘standing market’ in Arabic. It is over 250 years old and has this labyrinthine alleyways that has shops weaved around. The shops sells different type of goods agonised a plethora of restaurants with international cuisines ranging from Italian to Yemeni, Syrian to Thai.

• Arabian Oryx is the symbol of Qatar and the only place where you can find it is at the Arabian Sanctuary calledAlMaha Sanctuary. It is here that you will see endangered milky-white antelopes and gazelles. This is the first place where the Arabian Oryx were breed in captivity in the Arab nation. There is a desert resort where you can stay and enjoy a luxury living in the desert.

• Katara Cultural Village, also known as the Valley of Cultures is situated on the eastern coast between the Pearl of the Gulf and West Bay in Doha. This destination fascinates visitors with its tradition, architecture and theatre art. This place will rekindle your love for culture and tradition. Explore the village, discover many beautiful things – the exhibitions, music, theatre, conventions and resturants; they are all entertaining!

• Islamic Arts in Doha and start off the tour at one of Doha’s impressive architectural structures, The Museum of Islamic Arts. You will find the world’s finest collection of Persian rugs, Turkish mosaics, artworks and wood carvings. The Museum also contains artifact, manuscripts and precious materials that showcase the historical culture, excellence and intellectual aspects of Islamic Culture. Mathaf Arab Museum of Modern Art is an educational institute dedicated to Arab culture which houses a permanent collection of unique and modern Arab arts such as the an artists use of gunpowder as a medium of Art.