Doha is Qatar's capital, a Gulf waterfront city where the Museum of Islamic Art, the traditional Souq Waqif, the Katara Cultural Village and the glass towers of West Bay sit within a short drive of each other.
Doha began as Al Bidda, a fishing and pearl-diving settlement on a sheltered bay. In the 19th century the Al Thani family consolidated power, Ottoman and British interests competed on the coast, and oil from 1949 funded the rapid growth of the capital. Since 2008 museums such as the Museum of Islamic Art and the National Museum of Qatar have given visitors access to that story.
Historical timeline
Key moments that shaped Doha.
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1
Neolithic coastal settlement
Seasonal fishing camps along Qatar's coast leave Ubaid-period pottery, evidence of early contact with Mesopotamia.
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2
Islam reaches Qatar
The peninsula's communities embrace Islam and later form part of the early Islamic trade network of the Gulf.
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3
Al Zubarah founded
Clans from Kuwait found Al Zubarah on Qatar's north-west coast, which grows into a major pearling and trading port.
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4
Al Thani leadership rises
Sheikh Mohammed bin Thani leads the Qatari communities, with Al Bidda and Doha as his base.
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5
Recognition under the British agreement
After the 1867-68 conflict with Bahrain, a British-brokered agreement recognises Qatar as distinct from Bahrain, with Sheikh Mohammed bin Thani as its leading figure.
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6
Ottoman presence
An Ottoman garrison is based in Doha from 1872, and Al Koot Fort dates from the 1880 period.
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7
Sheikh Jassim bin Mohammed Al Thani
Sheikh Jassim becomes ruler; 18 December, the date of his accession, is celebrated as Qatar National Day.
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8
Battle of Al Wajbah
Sheikh Jassim defeats Ottoman forces at Al Wajbah, a decisive moment in Qatari independence from outside rule.
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9
British protectorate treaty
Qatar signs a treaty of protection with Britain, which lasts until 1971.
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10
Oil discovered and exported
Oil is found at Dukhan in 1939, and exports begin in 1949 after the pearl trade has collapsed.
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11
Independence
Qatar becomes fully independent as the British protectorate ends.
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12
Cultural boom
The Museum of Islamic Art opens in 2008, Al Zubarah is listed as a UNESCO World Heritage Site in 2013, and the National Museum of Qatar opens in 2019.
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13
FIFA World Cup
Qatar hosts the FIFA World Cup (20 November-18 December), with the final at Lusail Stadium.
Historical eras
The chapters of Doha's past.
Historical sites
Places where Doha's past comes alive.
National Museum of Qatar and the Old Palace
The restored 1901 palace of Sheikh Abdullah bin Jassim Al Thani sits inside Jean Nouvel's desert-rose building and anchors the story of Qatar's modern state.
Where: Corniche, central Doha
Admission: About QAR 25-50 (~$6.90-13.70) for non-residents; free for residents and children 16 and under
Al Koot Fort
A small white fort from around 1880, built during the Ottoman period and later used as a police post, now a free heritage stop beside Souq Waqif.
Where: Souq Waqif
Admission: Free
Msheireb Museums
Four restored houses, including Company House on the oil era and Bin Jelmood House on the history of slavery, preserve Old Doha's merchant-family heritage.
Where: Msheireb Downtown Doha
Admission: Free
Souq Waqif
The name means Standing Market, from its origins as a Bedouin and fishermen's trading place; it was rebuilt in traditional style in the 2000s.
Where: Old Doha
Admission: Free
Museum of Islamic Art
Opened in 2008, the museum holds manuscripts, ceramics, metalwork and textiles from Spain to India across more than 1,400 years of Islamic history.
Where: Corniche, central Doha
Admission: About QAR 50 (~$13.70) for non-residents
Barzan Towers
Two watchtowers of coral stone built in the late 19th and early 20th centuries to guard the wells of Umm Salal Mohammed and the road to the north.
Where: Umm Salal Mohammed, north of Doha
Admission: Free
Al Zubarah Archaeological Site
A UNESCO World Heritage Site (2013) preserving the walled remains of an 18th-19th century pearling and trading town, with a 1938 fort at its centre.
Where: Al Zubarah, north-west coast, about 105 km from Doha
Admission: Free
Imam Muhammad ibn Abd al-Wahhab Mosque
Qatar's State Mosque, inaugurated in 2011, combines Qatari and Islamic architecture and can hold around 30,000 worshippers.
Where: Lejbailat district
Admission: Free
Katara Cultural Village
Opened in 2010 as a cultural quarter with traditional pigeon towers, an amphitheatre and the Golden and Blue mosques that interpret Qatari heritage.
Where: Katara, north Doha
Admission: Free
Museums
Curated collections that tell Doha's story.
Historical tours
Guided experiences that bring history to life.