QATAR

FLAG

Maroon with a broad white serrated band (nine white points) on the hoist side; maroon represents the blood shed in Qatari wars, white stands for peace; the nine-pointed serrated edge signifies Qatar as the ninth member of the "reconciled emirates" in the wake of the Qatari-British treaty of 1916

LANGUAGE

the Semitic language of the Arabs, spoken by some 150 million people throughout the Middle East and North Africa

MONEY CURRENCY1.00 QAR = 12.67 PHPQatari Riyal Philippine Peso1.00 PHP = 0.08 QAR

Philippine Peso Qatari Riyal

Doha is the capital of Qatar. It is a modern and rapidly developing city and, considering the money being poured into construction, Doha looks set to become one of the premier cities in the Gulf within a few years.

CAPITAL

The political system of Qatar is an absolute monarchy, with the Emir of Qatar as head of state and head of government. Under the 2003 constitutional referendum it should become a constitutional monarchy. Sharia Law is the main source of Qatari legislation according to Qatar's Constitution.

GOVERNMENT

Air When going by plane to Qatar, you will most likely enter the country

at Doha's airport: Hamad International Airport (DOH), which opened on 30 April 2014. Local carrier Qatar Airways is building a growing worldwide network with flights from there.Land

You can travel to Qatar by bus from/through Saudi Arabia, there are fixed bus routes, within Qatar, although mostly used by men only. However, customs can take up to 4 hours especially at night and you will not be treated nearly as well as if you fly into Doha. The cheapest airline is SAUDIA and costs c. SR1100-1600 for a round trip while by Bus (SAPTCO) Costs SR.230 for a round Trip.Sea

There are no specific boat routes, but there are commercial freight boats coming into Doha from all over the world, as well as small commercial boats coming in from Dubai and Iran.

ACCESS ROUTES

GEOGRAPHICAL FEATURESMost Visited Tourist Attractions

Katara mosque is might not be as large as a huge grand mosque, but the color, design and patterned tiles represent its uniqueness. These tiles are the remainder of the Iranians and the gulf region, mostly the Shi’ite tiles.

Katara Mosque, Doha

The lavishness of the Arab countries is well known to all and it attracts the travellers to have at least one tour to these countries. Qatar is one of the rich countries, according to per capita. The Golden Mosque is not very surprising to the Arabian people.

The Golden Mosque, Doha

It is located at the down town of Doha. This spiral shaped new structure is really appreciated by the tourists. Qatar tourism receives a lot from this exclusively designed building. This building was constructed following the Samarra of Iraq, which has damaged in 2005.

Kassem Darwish Fakhroo Islamic, Doha

If you are interested to visit this land-sea of Doha then you can contact several travel guides who will arrange everything for you including the vehicles and food. You can enjoy riding on Camel or have a great fantasy on the four wheel vehicle.

Desert Safari, Doha

Al- Ruwais is a city of Qatar peninsula, which is known mostly for its natural view. It’s a little fishing village, but the local dhow boats are very famous for the seaside swarming. Al Jassasiya Carvings are  one of the attractive places at Al- Ruwais.

Al Jassasiya Carvings, Al- Ruwais

DISTINCT CULTURAL ATTRIBUTES

Unique Culture

Islam is the majority religion in Qatar. The vast majority of Qataris adhere to Islam, with a small number of naturalized Qataris keeping their religion of birth. . Other religions represented in Qatar are practiced by immigrant communities. According to the 2004 census, 77.5% of the population are Muslim, 8.5% are Christian and 14% are "other" (mostly followers of Hinduism and other Indian religions). According to 2010 data collected by the Pew Forum 67.7% are Muslim, 13.8% are Hindu, 13.8% are Christian, 3.1% are Buddhist, 0.7% follow other religions and 0.9% are unaffiliated to any religion

RELIGION

FESTIVAL

KATARA RAMADAN FESTIVALAfter a month-long Ramadan Festival celebrating Arabic calligraphy, Katara Cultural Village has now set on Eid Al Fitr festival with four days of Eid celebrations from Thursday 8 August to Sunday 11 August 2013. Daily from 7:30 pm to 10:30 pm, guests will experience what one can terms as, creativity rubbing shoulders with its appreciators. Spectacular fire works displays, Musical synchronized water fountain and laser shows will be designed to celebrate the Eid Al Fitr.

Held in March each year, the cultural festival is the biggest event of its kind in the country, presenting an exciting programmed of events including music, poetry, theatre and dance. The festival, organized by the National Council for Culture, Arts and Heritage, draws local residents and visitors from around the world to this international celebration of culture. Highlights in the past have included exhibitions and demonstrations of traditional crafts and the art of falconry.

Doha Cultural Festival

Eid al-Adha FESTIVAL Eid al-Adha is the feast of sacrifice, which occurs during the

traditional time that Muslims make the pilgrimage to Mecca. Celebrations are held by pilgrims in Mecca and also by those remaining at home. This festival commemorates the willingness of Abraham to obey God, as he demonstrated by sacrificing his son. Today, families make the sacrifice of a sheep and prepare a feast from the slaughtered animal. One-third of the food is consumed by the family; one-third is given to relatives and close friends and one-third is given to the poor. The celebrations last for three days and all businesses in Qatar close during this time.

CUISINES

MACHBOUS

The trademark of Qatari cuisine is machbous. Machbous is a richly spiced mélange full of, basmati rice, Eastern spices, pine nuts and raisins covered with a lump of mutton, chicken, or a  fish commonly served family-style in a shared platter. Machbous is just like kabsa, a Saudi Arabian dish of rice that looks like biryani with the toppings of fried onions. Each family in Qatar has its own recipe, but local machbous may contain cardamom, allspice, rose water soaked rice, cloves and tomato paste. With heated flat stones or in a pressure cooker, the marinated meat is traditionally cooked in an oven. Sometimes machbous is served with mutton along with a tomato-based spicy salsa on the side.

MATHROOB

As a special Iftar treat to break the Ramadan fast, Mathrooba is another local delicious dish  easily available in the Souq Waqif. Mathrooba is just like another local dish, H’riss, a resipe of chicken with buttery and creamy wheat porridge. Mathrooba is more identical to a soupy polenta, with the meat simmered and stewed with crushed beans combining the flavors into a pasty-mix that locals claim helps to avoid the hot temperatures.

MARGOOGA

Margooga is another famous stew-like dish. Margooga has many of the same Eastern spices found in other Qatari dishes. Margooga includes heartier vegetables like carrots and eggplant. A plumpy piece of farrago, a sponge-like bread just like Ethiopian injera, is presented with it to absorb the flavors.