Doha, the capital of Qatar is a huge construction site, where skyscrapers grow like mushrooms after rain. A great view of the wall of skyscrapers extends from Al Corniche - a 7 km long promenade that stretches along the coast.
Win
To be born Qatar is how to hit six in totka. This piece of the desert with an area of 11.5 thousand km² cutting into the waters of the Persian Gulf have always been lucky. First, local tribes got rich by fishing for pearls, and when the economic situation collapsed, one of the richest deposits of oil and gas in the world was discovered here. And this in just a few decades led to an amazing metamorphosis of this country. Bedouin fishing settlements and tents turned into luxury villas, camels replaced limousines and planes. Today, the number of millionaires per square meter is the largest here in the world. And gas is cheaper than water.
- each of 100,000 indigenous Qararans enjoy numerous privileges. He doesn't pay taxes, he also doesn't pay for electricity, if he decides to get married, he gets land from the state so that he can build a house - says my Indian friend, an expat who, like 90% residents of this country came here tempted by the vision of interesting work, rapid success and wealth. You don't save money here.
Doha, the capital of Qatar, resembles a large construction site. Through the taxi window, I admire the skyscrapers shooting into the sky, which form a glass-concrete forest. Their scale is stunning. The sleepy fishing village turned into Manhattan in the desert.
Sheikhs know no borders
They want to make Doha the most beautiful and richest city in the world. Nothing is impossible here, as evidenced by the fact that Qatar will host the world football championship in 2022. To delight guests, huge stadiums are being built and underground is being drilled underground. In the bay itself, artificial islands are piled up - from a bird's eye resembling strings of pearls - on which rise residences with private beaches, luxury shopping centers, restaurants and a marina for the finest yachts. At the same time, money is invested in art and culture.
That the residents of Doha would have a place to spend time, Sheikh Tamim Bin Hamad Al Thani, Emir of Qatar, built the Katara Cultural Village. The guide proudly shows us the antique style amphitheater. There is also a cinema, opera and theater. The Islamic Art Museum was built on the island belonging to the Emir. Some see in his figure a woman hidden under the hijab. The rich collections of ceramics, textiles, manuscripts and other items can be visited for free.
But the heart of Doha, its oldest part, is Souq Waqif. A thousand years ago goats, fish and wool were traded here. Today there are hundreds of shops. The labyrinth of streets is divided into sectors. So here is a golden souk, where necklaces, bracelets and earrings can weigh a few kilograms, and jewelry is bought by weight. There is a textile part, with fabrics from around the world, from which tailors can sew any wardrobe for us. There is also a root bazaar, where the smell and the abundance of spices literally dizzy. I have not seen so many species of nuts, figs or dates anywhere. Here we also get honey from Yemen, the most expensive in the world, or saffron, which costs more than gold, not to mention sweets and other delicacies. The animal market resounds with the twitter of thousands of birds, you can buy canaries, chickens,
Return to the roots
The main street of the bazaar is surrounded by bars, restaurants and cafes. You can look at the Qataris dressed in thoub, i.e. long white robes with fancifully folded guthra, a scarf held by a rim. But at first glance these haughty gentlemen can have fun - I am witnessing their performances during ardha, traditional sword dance accompanied by drums and pipes. It turns out to be part of the wedding ceremony. They also put a lot of heart into their other hobby - falconry.
Next to the bazaar there is a falconry center, where from morning to evening you can meet sheikhs holding their falcons on their hands. Catheters love these birds and are able to pay up to one million dollars for exceptional specimens. And spend millions more on their training, karma and maintenance. In Bedouin era falcons were more effective than arrows and therefore helped them survive in the desert. They fished other birds during great migrations through the Arabian Peninsula. Today they are an ornament, a kind of elite sport, and hunting is organized in the desert. This is another Qatar attraction. The first sand dunes start about 40 minutes after Doha. We descend to the camp, where a Bedouin tent and lunch are waiting for us; baked chicken, salads, humus, bread. When we return to the city, we pass dozens of cars going to the desert. It's Friday at the end of the weekend.
do it yourself
■ DIRECTIONS
Qatar Airways flies directly to Doha from Warsaw. Hamad International Airport is a port from which we can also reach many different capitals of Asia or America, dohahamadairport.com. You can organize a trip to the city during a stopover.
■ TRANSPORT
The easiest way to travel around the capital is by cheap taxis. A trip
to the desert with a guide driver costs about 400 euros.
■ ACCOMMODATION
It's not cheap, so look for deals on booking.com.
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