Places To Visit In Qatar – Souq Waqif

I have been living in Qatar for the last two & half years now. When I first moved here I honestly dint know what to expect, I must admit I had my reservations and that’s normal right? However, It dint take a lot of time for me to love this country. Since I am living here I decided to start blogging about my favorite spots here.

And today I’ll be talking about Souq Waqif (Standing Market).

Souq Waqif is an authentic Qatari market that is considered to be the only market in the Middle East that has worked really hard towards retaining its roots. This market was established a 100 years ago but was in 2006 the governement of Qatar decided to renovate this place in order to preserve the rich history & culture of Qatar. It also reflects upon the ancient architecture of Qatar.

This market has a lot to offer and several streets in this market look like a maze & a lot of alleyways where you tend to get lost – which I love!

This market attracts a lot of tourists every year, as it has a lot to offer to people from shopping to food to entertainment.

What Cuisines will You find here? – Qatari Cuisine, Mediterranean cuisine, Yemeni cuisine, Iraqi cuisine, Syrian Cuisine & Indian Cuisine. You also get the best Kunafeh (cheese pastry soaked in sweet, sugar-based syrup) in souq waqif from Al Aker Sweets. They are to die for!

What can You shop from here? – Pashmina Shawls, Carpets, Abayas (Burkha), Incense (Oud), Shisha, Fabrics, Garments, Spices, Dry fruits, Pets (limited to Cats, dogs, birds & Rabbits), and Arts & Crafts.

What else will You get to see in Souq? – Entertainment. You will find musical acts and street performers during the weekend.

What does the GirlFromKasargod love to do most in Souq? – I go there for shopping mostly or for the entertainment or to try and find a table outside any one of the many restaurants there & sit, drink coffee & do some ‘people watching’. 

I am very fond of this market & encourage all you readers to plan a trip to Doha, Qatar. You will certainly love this place.

(All the above pictures were taken by Mr. Shan Maskan)

Picture courtesy : Shan Clickzz 

If you want to get in touch with him his email ID is 👉🏻 naishan.maskan@gmail.com

Bye for now! 

Xo