Qatar - Education City & New Year's Eve

For other signs from around the world, please visit Tom's blog.

Part II 

Tuesday 31st Dec.- On the way home from the museum (last post) we stopped at the Qatar National Library as I had read it was an interesting building to visit. The library is free to visit and you can arrange for staff to give you a tour.

It was designed by Dutch architect Rem Koolhaas and was officially opened in April 2018, by His Highness the Emir Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad Al-Thani, who placed the one millionth book on the shelves. The library collection of one million books includes 137,000 for children and 35,000 for teenagers.

We parked in the first parking lot we found and walked around the Education city area where the Universities are located.

Hamad Bin Khalifa University (HBKU)

The "Al Azzm" sculpture symbolizes the determination of local women, showing 3 women walking against the wind with their abayas rippling behind them. It was also designed to celebrate the 25th anniversary of the Qatar Foundation, situated nearby, and the 3 women also signify the 3 focus areas of the foundation, which are science and research, community development and education.

The creator was Sheikh Hassan bin Mohamed bin Ali Al Thani (grandson of the former Emir of Qatar, and also the creator of "Motherland"  the sculpture I showed you when I wrote about my visit to the amazing National Museum of Qatar.

Karina had already told us about the air-conditioned bus/tram stops around Doha, but this was the first time I saw one. And it even had a water dispenser! 

The tram here offers free rides within the campus to reduce the campus carbon footprint and there are 24 tram stops and 2 metro stations (Green line) in Education City. 

Tram station with enclosed stop in the far left

Enclosed tram stop and water cooler to the right

Education city has many works of art and the next one was one I especially liked.

Another work of art in the campus

                                 

And we finally reached the library building.

                          

The very bright library interior

The bookshelves were set at various levels reached by steps, on 3 sides of the building, a central administration area/check-out stations, plenty of computers, and on the other side the children's book area, semi-enclosed study rooms, and group study rooms, plus a restaurant and a cafe. 

On the lower ground floor accessed via a staircase or a glass bridge connecting to the lifts,  you can visit the heritage library, designed to look like an archeological site, symbolizing the connection between the past and present.

Here you can see manuscripts from the Holy Qur'an and Arabic literature to historical maps, globes and atlas, old navigational tools and scientific instruments.

The library features exhibitions in various spots around the building and when we visited it was hosting: "The art of book making in Morocco".

Interesting topic and we got to print out a book marker with a stamp of the event.

Apart from serving as a library and research centre, it also serves as a community meeting place hosting about 80 free events every month, such as adult knitting groups, etc. The Qatar Philharmonic Orchestra gives a free performances once a month there. 

Jose sitting outside the library

Another sculpture outside the library

At the end of the street I could spot the very modern local mosque with the two minarets sticking out. Apparently it's worth a visit as it's beautiful inside.

Education City Mosque with the minarets

On our way out I spotted another contemporary building, which is the Convention Centre, where the front roof is held by two stylised Sidra trees. It was designed by Japanese architect and urban designer Isozaki Araki, who also designed the master plan for Education City.

Convention Centre with a sculpture of a big ball in front

Education city , launched in 1997 and was officially inaugurated in 2003. 

It spans 12 square kilometres (4.6 sq mi) in the Al Rayyan municipality, and houses 25 education institutions, including satellite campuses of eight international universities (Northwestern, Texas A&M, Carnegie Mellon, etc) and students from over 50 countries (75% of students are foreign). 

The area also has an hotel, a golf course, the Sidra medical and research centre, a Science and Technology park, Oxygen park (where rare and endangered trees are planted and allowed to grow wild in the natural environment), lots of art...

Sidra Medical & Research centre

If I ever visit Qatar again, I'll have to take a tram ride to look at this area in more detail, as there many buildings I would like to visit, the beautiful park, many artworks ...

On the way home, at the traffic lights outside Education city I saw this small building, an electrical station maybe, which was decorated with some sort of fake greenery and the lamp posts in the area all looked like tree trunks.

Everything has to look perfect 😊.

When we got home we showered and put on some fancy clothes for our New Year's Eve dinner at 8,30pm at Roberto's, an Italian restaurant in St.Regis Marsa Arabia Island, a small island in the Pearl Island.

 

An impressive statue of a falcon's head in the middle of the plaza greeted visitors

One of Thomas's colleagues had organized the dinner, which was attended by about 22 people. The restaurant had various rooms, including an outdoor one. Ours had a small verandah from where we had a view of the marina.

This funny picture was in the room and we all had a laugh at it

New Year's banners

They were quite busy and had a full house,so our starters were served quite late, but the food was very tasty and plenty of it too.

For mains I had Salmon and Jose had a seafood risotto.

Dessert - a platter with 4 mini cakes and a bowl of fresh fruit

The 4 of us in the balcony

We had a good time, but I missed dancing as the DJ's music was a bit heavy metal for my taste. Still our group was one of the last to leave the restaurant at about 2am.

And while we waited for the Uber driver to pick us up we took photos outside with the "photo frame" of the restaurant :)

Monday Murals - Various from Old Doha Port

I love murals and street art. If you like murals or have a mural you'd like to post, this meme is for you.  Just follow the Linky steps below.  Once you start looking you will find murals everywhere.  The "Monday Mural" meme goes live on Monday at 12,01AM, Perth,Western Australian time. Be sure to link back to this blog and visit your fellow posters. Looking forward to your mural finds this week.  Thanks Sami

A mix of small murals today, all from Old Doha Port (Mina District), which were painted for the 5th "World Wide Walls International Mural Festival" in Nov/Dec 2023.

"Battoula", painted by Qatari artist Ghada Al Suwaidi, the mural depicts a Qatari woman in traditional clothes but in a unusual colour, which reflects the pastel colours of the Doha port buildings. 

Painted by American artist Kevin Lyons, who is known for his signature "Monster" characters, that have been used to adorn t-shirts, skateboards, cars, sneakers... Soft shades were used to blend with the pastel colours of the surrounding buildings in the area.

Painted by  Qatari artist Noura Al Mansoori, "My Inner Peace" , where the artist visualises a stage of deep thought, contemplation and meditation, guiding the audience towards inner peace and helping them discover their rightful place. (from the artist's website)

PS: Sorry to interrupt Monday Murals again, but I'll be going to Portugal on the 26th February for 3 weeks for a family reunion to celebrate my daughter Karina's 40th birthday on the 8th March, as well as my birthday 2nd, my great-niece's 5th and my dad's birthday 11th March - with a big party on the 8th of March!

So next week 24th I'll still post a mural, but no murals on the 3rd, 10th or 17th March and I'll return with Monday Murals on 24th March. I'm sure I'll bring you some great murals from Portugal :)

Qatar - Mangroves, Museum and Signs

Joining Tom for "Signs". Please check his blog for other signs from around the world, that he posts on Wednesdays.

Monday 30th Dec - Thomas (son in law) suggested we visit a mangrove about 1 hour north of Doha - "Al-Thakira". 

Mangroves are shrubs or trees that grow in coastal saline or brackish water. They are good for the environment by removing carbon dioxide from the air, filtering metals from the water, providing breeding areas for fish...

There wasn't much water, there were lots of tiny fish and lots of small crabs, but not much else to see, so it was a bit of a disappointing trip. Apparently you could kayak there too, but either we were in the wrong spot, or there were no kayaks being rented as there wasn't enough water...

We climbed the small hill to see if anything interesting was visible in the distance, but nothing.

On the way back home we stopped for lunch at Tio Sea resort in the town of Al-Khor. The Arabian style resort was quite pretty with lovely gardens, pool and private beach. The owner/s must have liked horses as there were quite a few statues in front of the resort building.

Tio Sea resort and the many horse statues

We were seated outside by the pool, with a view to their private beach too.

A couple of kids swimming an another table with people eating, otherwise it looked quite empty.

Service was good as usual everywhere we ate out in Qatar, people were very polite and friendly. Didn't take photos of the food, and can't remember what I ate :) but the fresh mango juice I had was delicious. Jose had a fresh apple juice.

                             

That evening Karina had a gym class at the City Centre Doha Mall and we tagged along to walk around and take photos.

View of the buildings across the mall

Outside the shopping I had already noticed these big statues but we were always driving by and had only managed blurry photos.

Inside the shopping I found another one - a crocodile. They are all by French sculptor Richard Orlinski. The red deer is 3,50mt high (11.5ft) and both the King Kong ones are probably identical height.

In the Carrefour supermarket the sign for the cashier for customers with disabilities had a wonderful name - "people of determination". It's a term used in some of the Arab countries to recognize the achievements of people with disabilities in many fields. Isn't that lovely?

Tuesday 31st Dec - We did so much in the last day of the year that I'll write 2 posts for the day. 

Karina's friends had recommended we visit the Sheikh Faisal Bin Qassim Al Thani Museum, one of the world's largest private museums, in Al Shahaniya, about 30 minutes west of Doha. I'm glad they did as it was quite an experience!

The 77 year old Sheikh Faisal, who is related to the Qatari Royal family, is one of Qatar's most successful and wealthiest businessmen (net worth $1.9 billion according to Forbes) with interests in petroleum, food services,  education, telecommunications, information technology, pharmaceuticals,  travel industries and hospitality - owning 34 luxury hotels around the world, including the St. Regis in Washington, D.C. and Miami, and the W Hotel in London and Miami, the M Hotel in Mecca, Saudi Arabia...

He started selling car parts in Doha at age 16 in 1964, when Qatar's population was only 50.000 and in 1969 he became the sole distributor of Bridgestone tires.

The mosque tower leans to the right :)

The museum was established in 1998, comprising of 3 buildings that occupy 530,000m^2, but the wow factor was the mosque tower at the entrance to the area, that was built at an angle. 

I asked about the leaning tower when we bought the tickets (Qar 50 for adults, Qar 20 for seniors  and residents don't pay) and I was told it was constructed that way to make it interesting.

Sheikh Faisal Bin Qassim Al Thani

The Sheikh's main passion is arts and culture, hence he has collected over 30,000 artifacts for his museum, spanning from the Jurassic period to the early Islamic era, and up to the present day, most of which he sourced himself - from cigarette packets and lighters, to rocks, fossils, furniture, weapons, notes and coins, watches and clocks, rare books, medical instruments, football memorabilia, kids toys, carpets, Arabian clothing, boats, cars, a small plane... 

Starting at the Great Hall A you can find ancient fossils such as dinosaur eggs and several variations of the country's desert rose, as well as stuffed animals, Arabian desert tents...

Desert tents, camel statues

(I think this was a crocodile skull)

Remember the National Museum in the shape of a desert rose crystal? Below are a few natural crystals.

Desert rose crystals

fossils

The Quran Room - houses rare manuscripts, photographs, etc and there's a section dedicated to Haij, the annual pilgrimage to Mecca in Saudi Arabia. Among the Quran books on display is one of the biggest Quran ever written, as well as a miniature version. Ibn Sina's Canon of Medicine represents the medical encyclopedia compiled in year 1025 that was the standard at medieval universities and remained in use for many centuries.

On display was a Syrian house from Damascus that came dismantled and was then reassembled at the museum. 

One of the entrances to the Syrian house

Syrian house

Ceilings and walls of the Syrian House

An eclectic collection of paintings, beautifully engraved furniture and furniture with mother of pearl inlays and silverware.

The many carpets and rugs in this museum are just a fraction of the 600 carpets from Iran, Turkey, India, and Egypt dating from the 17th to the 20th century that are displayed at the Sheikh's Carpet Museum in the city centre.

Carpets are an essential part of the furnishings in Arab houses covering walls and floors.

 

A series of Samurai paintings, pieces of furniture, swords and Japanese clothing is also on display.

In the Great Hall B, a small collection of vintage cars could be seen. 

Nothing compared to the 600 cars the Sheikh has collected over the years, that are housed in another part of the museum that was closed for repairs.

A small plane and American pick-up trucks

Here you could also see ship models, pearling and fishing tools and dhows (boats)  representing life in Qatar before the discovery of oil in the 1930's.

Various dhows

"Pearl divers"

Equipment from Qatar's first women's hospital was displayed in a smaller room in the Great Hall.

Arab women's dresses and jewellery

A display of dolls, kid's carts, tricycles, etc

A display of football/soccer balls, trophies, medals, signed shirts, some from the 2022 Fifa World Cup in Qatar.

Shirt signed by Cristiano Ronaldo and the Qatar mascot (bottom shelf)

And that a snippet of the tour of this most fascinating museum where we spent probably about 3 to 4 hours walking around.

 Jose and I sitting on a wall surrounding a lake in front of the museum

Signs with fish