Destinations Magazine

Souq Waqif

By Sonyaandtravis @sonyaandtravis

Souq Waqif is one of my favourite places in Doha. Located in the heart of Doha’s old city, the souq area is a bustling marketplace and also hosts a number of restaurants, shisha lounges and coffee shops. The souq as a market site has been around for over a hundred years, but was restored a few years ago. Stepping into the souq overwhelms the senses – the smell of Arabic perfumes and oils, apple shishas and mint teas, the sight of the Qataris, men in their thobes and gutra, women in their abayas…

Narrow alleyways are lined with shops filled with spices, handicrafts, perfumes and sweets and all sorts of other household goods. There’s a pet souq with coloured chicks, miniature turtles and macaws (though unfortunately I haven’t heard positive things about the way animals are treated here).

We visit the souq quite frequently, whether it be for dinner with friends or an evening walk.

Below are some of the photos taken.

One of the many halls and arches
Benches with tradition Bedouin designs
Hotel Souk Waqif

African Grey Parrot at animal souk
Blue-and-yellow Macaw at animal souk
Java Sparrows at animal souk

Red Parrot at animal souk
Budgerigars at animal souk
Cockatiels/Weiros at animal souk

Green Parrot at animal souk
Dyed chicks at animal souk
Rabbits at animal souk

The animal souk
The animal souk bird section
Children look at the animals in the animal souk

One of Souk Waqif hallways, spices for sale
One of Souk Waqif hallways, fabrics for sale
One of the many Souk Waqif hallways

Qatari man sitting on bench
Little 'Aladdin' outfits for sale
Line of wheelbarrows waiting to be used

People browsing cloths at Souk Waqif
Some incense burning in one of the hallways
Tradition cloths for sale in on of the Souk Waqif hallways

Pashmina shawls for sale
The main street of Souk Waqif
Various knick-knacks for sale

The many souvenir shops
The main street of Souk Waqif during the day
Drying linen in traditional Bedouin designs


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