Visit the Katara Cultural Village to appreciate the way it aims to use art and cultural interchanges to spread messages of hope, understanding and peace across the world’s diverse people. Established with the vision of becoming a world leader in multicultural activities, the modern site blends European and Oriental architectural styles with Qatari, such as the three distinctive Pigeon Towers outside a mosque.
Attend a performance of the Qatar Philharmonic Orchestra in the Opera House. Other events are put on at the Greek-style Katara Amphitheatre and the Drama Theatre. View a 2-D or 3-D show on astronomy or other sciences on the huge screen of the Al Thuraya Planetarium. Have a meal at one of more than a dozen restaurants in the village with diverse cuisine. Enjoy a sweet treat at dessert and chocolate shops. Two beautiful masjids or mosques are available for daily prayer.
See completed works and workshop pieces in visual arts ranging from ceramics and printmaking to photography and computer design at the Visual Art Center. Attend a concert at the Qatar Music Academy, whose students play Western instruments as well as traditional Arab instruments such as the ud, qanun and nay. The Arab Postal Stamp Museum, founded in 2010, features stamps from 22 Arab countries.
The Gardens of Katara, one of Qatar’s favorite green destinations, is set within Katara Cultural Village. The gardens cover an area of over 350,000 square feet (32,000 square meters) separated as the Northern Hills and Southern Hills sections. Come here for quiet serenity amid rare areas of lush vegetation in Qatar’s desert setting.
The area surrounding the cultural village hosts many festivals and seasonal events. Come in the spring for the Senyar Festival featuring a pearl-diving competition near Katara Beach. November has the Traditional Dhow Festival, the Katara European Jazz Festival and the Qatar International Art Festival. Katara Beach offers parasailing, waterskiing, boat rides, gondola rides and 1 mile (1.5 kilometers) of sand for kids’ playtime.
Travel by car or take a taxi to the Katara Cultural Village from Downtown Doha in about 20 minutes. Many activities at the complex are free but may require advance registration. The site is generally open at all times but visitors may be restricted during periods of prayer. The Katara Cultural Village official website has further information about visiting the site and what's on.
While in the area, see the Guinness-declared “largest key in the world,” play a round at Doha Golf Club or enjoy 24-hour shopping and dining at the luxurious Pearl-Qatar community.
