Qatar Festival

QATAR FESTIVAL 
By Michele MacDonald 
   No matter what the hankering–jewelry, clothes, spices, lamps, pots and pans, antiques (and/or copies thereof) and even parrots–it can be fulfilled with twists of historical flair and Arabian hospitality in Doha’s Souq Waqif.
   Tucked away at the feet of some of Doha’s modern buildings, the souq has been tenderly crafted to resemble an ancient marketplace. Although the location hosted such a market extending back for possibly centuries, it was rebuilt within the past 10 years with traditional architectural elements such as whitewashed mud walls and exposed beams to be the quintessential tourist attraction: old but new again. Cont. p8
   Its narrow alleys wind from dark passageways into courtyards bathed in light, and urns containing smoldering oud, the heady incense of burning agarwood that is a defining element of the Middle East, send tendrils of perfume through the air, luring passersby to come hither and spend.
   You never know exactly what you might find once you step into this world. From stands containing every kind of desert sandal imaginable, the next turn may lead to a shop where wigs of all lengths and colors hang from the ceiling in a strange and almost macabre display, and then the next is adorned with cashmere pashminas in every hue of the rainbow. 
   There are spices and sweets from around the world, with dates from the Gulf region particularly scrumptious along with honey from Yemen. And stacks of carpets, prayer rugs and pillows of all colors and sizes numb the senses with brilliant reds, oranges, greens and blues.
   Just around the corner emerge the shops that house works of painted art from Iran–scenes of horsemen fanning across the desert on steeds of every color finely brushed on to boxes and frames formed of camel bone–and wooden boxes inlaid with mother of pearl crafted in Syria. And, of course, there are tourist knickknacks of all kinds, even small wooden babushka type dolls painted with the likenesses of traditionally dressed Arab men.
   In the antique shops, there are swords and khanjars (curved daggers in scabbards decorated with silver) of all sizes along with Islamic helmets and copies of helmets from the Crusades era. Framed pieces of Arabic calligraphy are stunning, and jewelry from across the Persian Gulf region invokes visions of the Bedouins and another era.
   And then, suddenly, you come upon a noisy gathering place where children abound, pointing and clearly delighted. This is the part of the market where pets of all kinds are sold. 
   Being one who loves animals, I can’t go in pet stores without feeling my heart reach out to every individual as I see their deep, dark eyes glancing into my own, and thus I couldn’t stand long looking at the tiny rabbits, kittens, chicks, puppies and silver dollar-sized turtles–although all looked healthy and clean. I just knew I couldn’t take any back to Kentucky in my suitcase and I had to turn off my senses of concern.
Cont. p9   But the exotic birds demanded my attention visually with their shockingly vibrant colors. Watching children stand in line to gawk and then reach out to gently touch their feathers and beaks sparked smiles in all directions and amongst all nationalities. One boy proudly took a greenwing maccaw on to his arm to show his family, a grin breaking out across his face as the bird held on to him.
   Unlike some other souqs I have visited in the region, the Souq Waqif is basically a gentle place. While commerce is the main function and locals as well as tourists buy what they need here, shopkeepers and salesmen and women politely refrain from pitching their wares too vocally or persistently. Even the timid can shop here without feeling commercially assaulted, and if you say no thank you, that will be the end of the conversation.
   Yet those who enjoy the sport of bargaining will find their skills to be very useful. Friends on my journey over Souq Waqif’s cobbled alleys saved as much as 30 to 40% off the listed prices of items only by asking once or twice if a better price was available–it was that easy (and fun for veteran shoppers). Shopkeepers are friendly and most speak excellent English, offering kind smiles and speaking in soft voices while providing a most pleasant experience. 
   If you are ready to drop after too much of a spree, many fashionable restaurants, coffee houses and shisha spots offering waterpipes for a regionally traditional smoke dot the area within the souq.
   And if you just can’t get enough of Arabia, you can do like we did and venture off to find the camels. A group of about a dozen camels stood in hobbles not far from the stores, kept so that those visitors who just have to see, touch and take photos of camels (check all boxes for me) could do so.
   Not only were these camels well cared for, they also were very curious and outgoing with strangers, although they did clearly prefer a man who arrived to give each of them a snack that looked like a piece of pita bread, which they quickly ate with gusto.
   The only bad part about shopping in Souq Waqif is that somehow you leave feeling that you have not seen it all–and certainly have not bought enough. Click here to share.