Souq Waqif
I would have to say that we are one of the frequent visitors of the "Souq" here in Doha. We probably go there once a week to buy meat and to buy some items from the Filipino stores. Souq, is defined as: a market or part of a market or an open-air market in an Arab city. There's the "wholesale souqs" consisting of the vegetable, meat, fish and Omani souqs of the Central Market along Salwa Road. But here "Souq" is actually a general term that we use to refer the area where a number of souqs are located. Going to the "Souq", means going to any of the souqs that you'll find in the area, such as the Souq Al Ahmad, Souq Faleh, Souq Nasser Bin Saif, Souq Al Asiery (where, we're usually at), Doha Souq, Souq Al Deira, Souq Al Jabor, the Gold Souq, and the Souq Waqif. We've always wanted to visit the latter but never got the chance till yesterday.
Souq Waqif, also known as the Iranian Souq, has recently undergone a major renovation and has been tranformed into what looks like an old marketplace, in-keeping with its actual age that is about 100 years old. It is located just behind the Souq Al Ahmad. Unlike the other neighboring souqs which are all regular buildings, Souq Waqif's architecture definitely has a traditional theme, making it appear old and rustic. Being there for the first time really gives its visitors a different experience. It's like going back in time. Being there was just delightfully peaceful and tranquil. Strolling along the stone-finished pavement was actually relaxing and entertaining at the same time, as you pass by the stores that sell different merchandise: food, tools, traditional Qatari items, etc. It's also amazing to see a lot of people, Qataris and a expats alike walk the same path. It was also fun for our daughter who had her first ever donkey-ride for a fee of QR5. Every kid who saw the donkey just had to take the ride. What more, it is a great place to take photos. We spent about 2 hours there, just looking around, yet we haven't even covered 1/4 of the whole area. We just loved the experience and we swear to go back tomorrow for more. We plan to go there much earlier so that we'll have enough time to cover more area. Then we could just have dinner in one of the cafes that can be found there. Shisha or hubbly-bubbly afficionados can also spend the whole afternoon and evening in the shisha cafes in the souq. Being there was just wonderful. I never thought of it that way before yesterday, so you can say that the Souq Waqif was such a pleasant surprise.
