Qatar
Qatar: Political System
Qatar has been an emirate, i.e. a hereditary monarchy, since 1822. The state
organs are a consultative assembly, a cabinet of ministers and a consultative
council for local affairs. Qatar has had a new constitution since 2005, which
provides for a parliament of 45 members. Two thirds of the parliamentarians are
elected for four years, one third is appointed by the emir, who still has the
highest decision-making power.
Emir HH Sheikh Hamad Bin Khalifa Al-Thani, who was head of state of Qatar from
1995 to 2013, had not only brought immense wealth to the state, but also founded
the very critical TV station Al Jazeera (November 1, 1996), through which he's
still holding his protecting hand!
According to Digopaul.com,
the official name of the country is:
National anthem
The national anthem of Qatar The national anthem of Qatar has been the song
“Long live the Emir” since 1996, on the occasion of the accession to the throne
of the Emir Sheikh Hamad bin Chalifa Al Thani (born 1952), the text of which was
written by Sheikh Mubarak bin Saif Al Thani (born 1953) has been. The music was
composed by Abdul Aziz Nasser Obaidan (born 1952).
| In Arabic language |
In the English translation |
| |
Swearing by God who erected the sky
Swearing by God who spread the light
Qatar will always be free
Sublimed by the souls of the sinceres
Precede thou on the manners of the ascendants
And advance on Prophet's guidance
In my heart,
Qatar is an epic of glory and dignity
Qatar is land of the early men
Who protect us at time of distress,
Doves they can be at times of peace,
Warriors they are at times of sacrifice |
National flag
Based on flag descriptions by
Countryaah.com, the national flag (country flag) of Qatar was adopted on July 9, 1971.
Qatar: sightseeing
UNESCO World Heritage Site
Archaeological Sites of Al Zubarah
Zubarah is an old and now abandoned city on the northwest coast of the peninsula
- about 105 km from the capital Doha.
Zubarah was once a thriving fishing and trading port halfway between the Strait
of Hormuz and the western part of the Persian Gulf. The local fort is almost
square in shape with thick, high walls. There are round watchtowers at three of
the corners, while the fourth has a rectangular shape. It is one of the largest
and best preserved examples of an 18th and 19th century fort in this region. The
fort was still used for military purposes until the mid-1980s, and an
archaeological museum founded by Sheikh Abdullah Bin Jassim Al-Thai has been in
the vicinity since 1938.
The archaeological sites of Al Zubara became the first World Heritage Site of
Qatar in June 2013 added to the list of UNESCO World Heritage Sites
Cities in Qatar
Doha
Doha is the capital of Qatar. Around 400,000 people live in Doha - a modern
metropolis that a few decades ago was a poor settlement. Today the city by the
sea is one of the most beautiful in the region.
The 17th World Athletics Championships took place here from September 27 to
October 6, 2019.
Ar-Rayyan
Ar-Rayyan is about 35 km west of Doha. The city has about 390,000 residents
and is gradually growing together with Doha.
Al Khor
The city has around 32,000 residents and is located around 50 km north of Doha
on a shallow natural harbor.
Special buildings and structures
National Library
The country's national library was designed by the Japanese Arata
Isozaki (born 1931) in the form of a floating spaceship. The museum is supported
by three hardly visible pillars. In Berlin he designed the building for the
Berliner Volksbank on Potsdamer Platz.
Souq Waqif in Doha
In the Souq Waqif in Doha, the traditional market area, you can buy anything
imaginable. In addition to fabrics, food, cosmetics and furniture, there is also
a separate area for gold.
Central Market
The Doha Central Market is located near the industrial area. In the
individual market halls, fruit, vegetables, fish and meat as well as traditional
objects such as water pipes, mats made of palm fibers, incense burners, etc.
Royal Al-Shabaq Stud
In Al-Rayyan is the Royal Al-Shabaq Stud, where many of the most
beautiful and valuable Arabian horses are bred.
Fort of Doha
The fort was built in 1925. It has a beautiful inner courtyard, which is
decorated with stucco work and arches. The fort was once used as a prison. Today
you can visit the fort.
Qalit Marir Fortress
The Qalit Marir Fortress can be found in Zubara. This "city" is a
ruined city on the northwest coast of the country - just over 100 km from Doha.
Museums
National Museum
The National Museum of Qatar is located in Doha and is housed in a former royal
palace. The building houses a collection on the country's tradition and culture.
In an adjacent building you can find out about the country's archaeological
past.
The marine section shows traditional seafaring, pearl diving and marine fauna.
Weapons Museum
In this museum in Doha you can see curved daggers, rifles, swords, spears and
cannons from all over the world.
Museum of Islamic Arts
Museum of Islamic Arts, opened in 2008, is located in Dona. It was
designed by the American architect of Chinese descent Ieoh Ming Pei (born 1917).
National
library Originally a university library was planned. But then it was decided to
set up a national and unvisibility library (Qatar National Library).
The plans for the building in Doha come from the Dutch star architect Rem
Kolhaas (born 1944). The library, which was opened in 2015, contains 1.2 million
items.
The library is located in the "Education City" - a new district built on the
outskirts of Doha according to plans by the Japanese architect Arata Isozak
(born 1931).
Al Jazeera (Al Jazeera)
Qatar is home to the most famous and only independent TV and news channel for
the Arab and Muslim countries - although it belongs to the Emir of Qatar. The
station, which was founded on November 1, 1996, reported and reports on bin
Laden with personal messages from him, as well as on the Iraq war or the
Israeli-Palestinian conflict. He also repeatedly criticized the autocratic
regimes in the Middle East and asked questions about the oppression of women,
with dissidents from Syria, Iraq and Egypt having their say as well as Israeli
spokesmen and even Ariel Sharon, who was hated during his lifetime. His live
reports from the uprisings in Tunisia and Egypt have been a great moment in
recent times.
The station has around 3,000 employees, but only 100 of them work in Doha.
Mosques
There are over 700 mosques in Qatar. The most important are:
Wahhab Central Mosque
This newly built mosque is located in Doha and offers space for around
30,000 worshipers.
Great Mosque
The most famous mosque in the country is the Great Mosque in Doha with
several domes.
Abu-Bakir-al-Siddig-Mosque
The Abu-Bakir-al-Siddig-Mosque, which is also located in Doha, is very
worth seeing.
Qartar Pearl
Qartar Pearl is an artificially raised peninsula of around 400 hectares. The
peninsula is located approx. 20 km north of Doha Airport - and approx. 11 km
northeast of the center of Doha.
On the peninsula there are expensive villas, row houses and larger apartment
buildings, three five-star luxury hotels, schools, kindergartens, a row of
shops, a shopping mall and numerous restaurants. Also as well as mosques for a
total of 30,000 people. There are also three marinas for yachts:
Porto Arabia, Costa Malaz, and Viva Bahriya.
Football stadiums
Al-Khor Stadium
The Al-Khor Stadium or Al-Khawr Stadium is a multi-purpose stadium in
Al Khor. So far mainly football matches and light athletics competitions have
taken place here. The stadium has a capacity of around 16,000 spectators.
Since the stadium will be one of the venues for the soccer World Cup in 2022, a
new building for 45,120 seats is planned at this point. As a result, the old
stadium will be demolished. The local new building is intended to be reminiscent
of a seashell and enable spectators in the west stand to look out over the
Arabian Gulf from their seats.
Ahmed bin Ali Stadium
The Ahmed bin Ali Stadium in Ar-Rayyan is the home
stadium of the Al-Rayyan Sports Club, which was founded in 1967 through the
merger of the old Rayyan club with the Nusoor Club. The stadium, which opened in
2002, has a capacity of around 21,280 spectators.
Natural beauties
Palm Island
In the bay of Doha is the small " Palm Island", which
can be reached in a few minutes by boat. From there you have a good view of the
Doha skyline. The island also has beautiful beaches, gardens, restaurants and a
cafe.
Ras Umm Saa
peninsula The Ras Umm Saa peninsula is also called the mangrove
peninsula. In the bays of the island there are whole forests of salt-resistant
mangrove trees. Numerous migratory birds rest there in winter and spring.
Doha harbor
The port of Doha is divided into an old and a new port. In the old port are
the Arab wooden ships, also called dhows, which are used for fishing, trading
and pearl diving. The modern freighters and container ships call at the new
port.
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