Tags
Katara Cultural Village, Qatari Culture, Qatari Heritage, Traditional Arabic Architecture, Traditional Arabic Culture
5 km away from the iconic Burj Qatar, tornado tower and the other amazing sky scrapers that form the picturesque skyline of Qatar, a vast cultural village grants you captivating and detailed Qatari traditional architecture and plenty of room for a sentimental stroll. Being a Valley of cultures, the village is a place where everyone comes to experience the cultures of the world and participate in multi-cultural activities. It is simply a lighthouse of art pretty different from most of Doha’s charming new cultural buildings, elsewhere in the city.
Katara cultural village reminds me of one cultural village we had in university back in the days, a place where all cultures met unknowingly – the food, décor and design of buildings represented everyone. More often than not I sought solace here when the semester proved intense. I would anticipate drinking porridge from a calabash or having a nice traditional meal and then laying on the well-manicured grass as i read and analyzed books from my literature class before drifting into fanto-mode (fantasy) picturing my future and wondering how to get there.
Years later, I found a similar place that does nothing but remind me I have to catch up with my dream…
My first encounter with this not- so- hidden -but –rarely- visited -treasure was in 2015 when I learnt about the famous Chapati and Karak joint. Of course I had to go do some exploring and sampling just to confirm if this combo was anything close to what I had in my childhood- when grandma’s chapatis and black tea were the “it”. I later realized that the place had a lot more than just tea! There was an ongoing vintage motor show that blended well with the traditional architecture, multiple cultural themed events etc which instantly sparked my interest.
Of course the village has a lot more to see and do than I have mentioned- beautiful theaters, concert halls, exhibition galleries, restaurants, trendy themed cafe’s, statues , food trucks and even a beach.
However, what seems to draw me to this place is none of those-it is simply the fact that I get to wallow in the Qatari culture, experience it and connect with it. I get to visualize how beautiful this country would be if every move I made spoke culture and heritage to me. Most importantly, I get to wander around unbothered. Perhaps this is the only place that evokes the feelings I get when I am by the beach sun, sand, &turquoise…
Lots of Love
XX