Old door in Al Najada

Al Koot Fort (Doha Fort), Jassim Bin Mohammed St (parking lot near Souq Waqif). Built in 1880 dur-ing the Ottoman period, this big white fort is located

in what is now the parking lot of Souq Waqif. At the time it was built, however, the fort was located on the outskirts of the city. Formerly used as an ethnographic museum, the building is now under-going renovations and currently closed, although it

is still a popular place to take photos.

Fanar Qatar Islamic Cultural Center, Abdullah Bin Jassim St (near the Corniche and Souq Waqif),
☎ +974 4425 0169, e-mail: info@fanar.qa. Daily 8AM-12PM, 4PM-8PM. Easily spotted from the Corniche with its distinctive spiral minaret, the cen-ter aims to educate non-Muslims about Islam by of-fering free Arabic classes as well as art and calligra-phy exhibits. The center conducts bi-weekly tours of local mosques followed by a traditional dinner (abayas provided for women, registration required), and also hosts weekly coffee mornings with presen-tations on Qatari culture and lifestyle (registration required). Free.

Clock Tower. Located next to the Grand Mosque, this old clock tower features Arabic numerals on its face. The tower is also located on a hill, and as such offers some wonderful views of the Corniche.

Windtower House, Grand Hamad St & Ali bin Abdulla St (enclosed within Souq Najada). One of the last traditional windtowers in Qatar. Windtow-ers were used in the days before air conditioning, functioning by sucking cool air into a house. The house is currently not open to the public, but can be viewed from the outside.

Souq Waqif. Souq Waqif is the renovated Arabic market quarter, where one can easily wander around the maze-like corridors for hours. The souq is or-ganized more or less by what is sold. There is a section of spice shops, another of textiles, and even a quarter with falcons for sale. Stables with Ara-bian horses are located not far from the falcons, and camels are kept near Al Koot Fort and the parking lot. Also look for places to buy souvenirs, sit down to smoke a Sheesha, or enjoy food at one of the restau-rants bordering it. Traditionally-dressed Qatari po-lice occasionally patrol the souq area, in the morn-ing mounted on camels and in the evening on horse-back. The souq was completely rebuilt several years ago on the site of an older souq, and therefore can feel somewhat artificial; however it is a very popular place for locals, particularly on weekends.

Msheireb Enrichment Centre, barge docked

off the Corniche, next to the Sheraton, ☎ +974 33197482, +974 33192305, e-mail: mec@msheireb.com. M-Th 9AM-8:30PM; 12-8PM Th, Sa 3:30PM-6PM. A small museum with photographs and artifacts illustrating the historic development of Doha from small fishing town to modern city. The exhibit is sponsored by developer of the Msheireb project near Souq Waqif. Free.