10 Curiosities of Qatar: what it is like, history, traditions

When thinking about travel tourism to Qatar, which has currently achieved prominence as the headquarters of the Soccer World Championship, the first thing we consider is what that country is like.

Indeed, surely you know that it is a small emirate on the arabian peninsula which has great wealth thanks to its oil production... And little else.

Therefore, in this article we want to make an approach to curiosities of the history of Qatar, so that when traveling you already have a minimum knowledge of the place you are going to visit, even if it is only on a stopover on an intercontinental flight to an Asian country.

Furthermore, we are going to propose the visit of the National Museum of Qatar, which is located in the capital of the country, Doha.

What is Qatar like?

With a multi-day sightseeing trip to Qatar, this museum must be a essential visit where you will see an impressive building contemporary architecture and, without a doubt, the best place to delve into the history and customs from this country.

Where is Qatar

Qatar It is a small peninsula that is located in the great Arabian Peninsula, bathed by the waters of the Persian Gulf, and its only land border is with Saudi Arabia.

From the geographical point of view, Qatar is a great desert plain where there are no mountains, no rivers, no lakes.

What is the population of Qatar

It is a former british colony which became independent in 1971 and currently has 2,9 million inhabitants.

Although yes, only 14 percent of its population is of Qatari origin; the rest of the inhabitants are Western or Asian.

Its political regime is absolute monarchy and has the youngest emir in the entire region of Gulf.

It should be noted that his Constitution It was reformed in 1999 and only since then can women participate in elections and be elected.

It is currently one of the safest countries in the world, occupying position 20 in the world ranking.

From the economic point of view, during the first part of the 20th century the first productive activity of Qatar was the pearl collecting, but it declined after 1930 due to the appearance of cultured pearls.

In the middle of the last century, Qatar It was a desert with small villages on the coast dedicated to fishing and the declining pearl industry.

Since when does Qatar have oil?

It was in 1939 when the first oil fields were discovered, although due to the Second World War, oil extraction did not begin until 1949, a moment in which the history of this small country has a before and after.

What to see when visiting the National Museum of Qatar

As we have mentioned, the best way to delve into the history of this Persian Gulf Emirate is visiting the Qatar National Museum.

Work of the French architect Jean Nouvel, in this museum you can learn about the past, present and future of Qatar.

But the first thing that will surprise you is its spectacular architectural design with 539 superimposed concrete discs, inspired by the desert rose, a rock formation characteristic of the desert.

The museum was inaugurated in March 2019 and has eleven huge galleries in which a great multimedia show.

Along with the spectacular videos you will be able to see a large exhibition of objects that allow you to learn different aspects of the history and geography of the country.

Once you enter the museum, the first thing that will surprise you is to see a huge representation of the mask known as batula, a piece of thin metal that, following a traditional non-religious custom, some women wear over their faces.

In the first rooms you will be able to see areas dedicated to fauna, archeology, traditional life of people in the desert or the activity of the pearl collecting.

What is the typical fauna of Qatar?

This way you will know that the arabic oryx is the national animal of Qatar, or that the halcon It is the national bird and falcon hunting It is a traditional sport in that country.

En Qatar There are also plenty of dromedaries that are used to move around the country or even for racing.

You will also know that the inhabitants of this desert country ate fish, rice and dates.

In the museum you can also see a dhow, traditional wooden boat which you will also find in the port area of the Doha Corniche.

What is traditional Qatari clothing like?

La traditional qatari clothing It has a great role in the National Museum.

La long white tunic what men wear is the thobe, a garment that they have already used since they were teenagers.

La long black tunic what women wear is the abaya, and the face is more or less covered depending on each one.

The use of these traditional garments by the Qataris has a cultural reason, which also meets the religious condition that the clothing be loose so that the figure of both the man and the woman cannot be seen.

But although the use of these garments is currently the majority in Qatar, it is not mandatory, and in fact there are men and women who wear Western clothing, which is always found under the aforementioned traditional garments.

In the museum you can also see a large and splendid carpet made of pearls, sapphires, emeralds and rubies, which tradition says was used to cover the tomb of the poet Muhammad.

Curiosities of the history of Qatar

In the museum rooms dedicated to history of qatar, you will know that the Portuguese arrived in this region of the Arabian Peninsula in 1507.

Its inhabitants allied themselves with the Ottomans to drive out the Portuguese, but fell under their rule.

Al-Zubarah It was the first city on the current Qatari peninsula, and was founded by merchants from Kuwait in the mid-18th century.

Destroyed in 1811, it was abandoned in 1900, and today the remains remain. archaeological remains of the fortified city, port and some forts.

In 1821, Al Bidda It became the largest city in Qatar, and the ruler who ruled it at the beginning of the 20th century became the founder of what is now the country, and acquired the title of emir.

When was Qatar a British protectorate?

It was at 1916 when Qatar became a British protectorate, until it became independent in 1971.

Qatar, the world's first natural gas product

That year was when electricity arrived in the country for the first time, and also when natural gas reserves were discovered.

In 1995 the first export of liquefied gas, coinciding with the arrival to power of the father of the current emir.

Nowadays Qatar is the world's leading producer of natural gas and the third country with the largest gas reserves in the world.

Likewise, it is the sixth country in the world in terms of per capita income.

To highlight from the historical point of view the economic blockade that suffered in 2017 by neighboring countries due to its friendship with Iran, a blockade from which it emerged thanks to the help of Turkey.

Former Royal Palace of Qatar in National Museum

Tu visit of the National Museum of Qatar will end by touring the building former Royal Palace, which has been completely renovated.

Curiosities and what life is like in Qatar

Finally, regarding your trip, you will find it curious to know that, given the incredible wealth of this small country, currently Qataris and residents there do not pay any taxes.

Qataris also enjoy free healthcare with high technology, as well as free tuition including university and a master's degree in Europe.

How you can be a resident in Qatar: advantages

For go to work in Qatar and be a resident, you must have a firm contract from a company active in the country.

These companies pay accommodation for their international employees who move to work in Qatar, and give them salary bonuses to pay for their children's education and enjoy private healthcare.

International workers in Qatar take their children to private schools because Arabic education is taught in public schools.