Doha by Faissal El-Malak

One of JDEED’s favourite and first featured designer Faissal El-Malak is giving us a tour of Doha -Qatar’s capital city- where, although he doesn’t live there anymore, is a place where he partially grew-up and loves to go back on a regular basis and considers as one of its homes.

Follow the guide.

Words by Faissal El-Malak

Culture 
|Museum of Islamic Art. Designed by architect I.M Pei, the building alone is worth the trip, not mentioning the beautiful collection of the museum. The cafe is great for lunch, a meeting or a coffee and offers uninterrupted views of the sea and the Doha skyline. If you’re looking for a quiet place to work or maybe do some research, head to the library.

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|Mathaf, Arab Museum of Modern Art , always has great temporary exhibitions.

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|The newly opened Musheireb Museums. Meticulously restored historic houses of old Doha that now showcases the beginnings of the city, from a museum dedicated to the history of the Oil extraction to the Slavery Museum.

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|See what’s on at the Qatar Museums galleries across town, from AlRiwaq in the MIA park to the Fire Station and the galleries in Katara. Perfect way to tour the city!

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Shop

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|Souq Waqif : Probably what I miss the most about Doha. You can buy just about anything there and it’s essential to get lost in the little alleys and the smell of spices. Ask for the falcon Souq to take a few pictures and continue a little further to see the Arab purebred resident horses.

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|Atlas BookStore : A beautifully curated collection of books on architecture & urbanism of the Greater Middle East. With a little luck you’ll get to meet its founder Fatma who’s a real wealth of information on Qatar and the region. It also happens to be located in the city’s most iconic building, the pyramidal Sheraton that should not be missed.

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|Shanzelize Palace on AlMirqab street. From old telephones to school posters from the 80′ s, this antique shop will surely satisfy your need to see the real Doha.

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Food

|Damasca at the Souq Waqif has the best Syrian food in town.

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|Mamig , for Armenian food. Great sea views from the terrace upstairs.

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|Yum Yum at the K108 hotel. A hidden gem with beautiful city and sea views and all of the profits go to charity !

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Visit Faissal’s website right here