In a labyrinth of narrow alleyways, the air smells of spices, frankincense, and coffee. Merchants spread out Persian carpets, buyers haggle over falcons, and from a restaurant comes the sound of an oud. Souq Waqif in Doha isn't a museum reconstruction—it's a living market that has existed on this spot for over a hundred years. When oil money transformed Qatar into a country of skyscrapers, this market preserved—and even enhanced—the atmosphere of old Arabia. Here you understand what Doha was like before oil.

History of the Market

"Waqif" translates as "standing." According to legend, the nam...