Souq Waqif , Doha

Hello everyone! I hope you are having a good weekend. I know I have been slacking a bit with my blog posts primarily because January has been one hectic month. I had just returned from traveling to the middle east and dived straight into work. Targets, Pressures and tribulations, that's what the beginning of the year brings for sales professionals like me!  Anyhow, I hope to get back into routine soon and start posting more frequently.

To pick up from where I left last time, I was in Doha for a week while I accompanied my husband on his work assignment. Being a small city, Doha is developing in leaps and bounds. While, the architectural and infrastructural growth is always good for a city, I usually like visiting the cultural pockets. So, after my visit to the Katara Cultural village, I headed over to get the real taste of middle east and found myself in the colorful lanes of  Souq Waqif, Doha.

Built like a traditional souq, the narrow lanes are home to a variety of shops selling everything from fabrics, handicrafts to fragrant spices. A walk down these lanes will transport you to a historical time, a time before technology even existed. The magical and surreal ambience engulfed me as I walked through and immersed myself in the exotic Arabian culture.

The cobbled stone walls on either side gave me a sense of warmth as the cold air was blocked from entering inside the souq. During our visit, the temperature went below 15 degrees Celsius which by my tropical standard was extremely cold. On these chilly evenings, the souq whisked me away to a whimsical land of camels, magic carpets and Aladdin.

Apart from the usual, the souq also sells unique lamps like the ones above. Lamps shaped like mushrooms looked like they had jumped straight out of a fantasy story book.  These attracted a lot of attention from passerby's like me :)

Moving on to from the mushroom lamps to something more traditional, I came across this shop selling beautiful lamps with intricate middle eastern touches. As I entered the brightly lit store, I looked in awe at the ceiling and the shelves. The lamps glowed in all their brilliance and looked so ethereal. I asked the shop keeper whether I could take a few pictures and he graciously agreed. Its not mandatory to ask but its not very polite to take pictures of strangers in the middle east. Since he was going to be a part of the photograph, I just felt appropriate to check with him first.

The souq is a great place to buy some traditional baubles and trinkets like the one above. They make great souvenirs and collectibles!

Middle east has always intrigued me which explains why I wanted to pick up everything possible. The souq is a haven for shopaholics as you can wander for hours and pick up little treasures for back home.

These Arabic cups and pots looked so regal and the colorful designs enhanced their beauty. These coffee pots are known as "dallah" and are generally made of brass.  The ceiling lights made them glitter and sparkle.

I would love to have coffee in these golden cups and maybe be a princess for a day. While I digress and my imagination gallops, how about an unlimited credit card! :) That's what luxurious middle east does to my imagination.

Ladies, you can expect to find different types of jewelry here ranging from bracelets, earnings and the works.

Apart from the shops, the souq Waqif is home to multi-cuisine restaurants that serve delicious middle eastern fare among others. On most of the days, we came to an Egyptian restaurant here for dinner and a sheesha under the moonlight. The atmosphere is very relaxed and electric at the same time. The souq was one of my favorite places in Doha and I thoroughly enjoyed myself. I am also 2 kilos heavier since my return which explains how much I ate there!

Here's me, at a restaurant in the souk looking terribly exhausted but happy.  I had a delicious meal here consisting of succulent and juicy lamb kebabs. The sheiks seem to love it too as you can see behind me.

Truly, magical middle east :)  Have a great sunday!