Souq Waqif
سوق واقف
A restored traditional Arab market with spice, textile and falcon souqs and shisha cafés, brightly lit at night.
Waqif means 'standing' in Arabic. More than a century ago this was a market where Bedouins and fishermen traded livestock, wool and daily necessities. It earned the name 'standing market' because the nearby river often flooded, forcing merchants to trade on their feet. In 2006 the government fully renovated it in the traditional Gulf architectural style: ochre mud walls, exposed timber beams and narrow shaded alleys preserve the old market's layout. The market has stalls selling spices, frankincense, Arab robes, carpets and handicrafts, as well as the Falcon Souq and a falcon hospital, where you can see valuable falcons and falconry gear. Nearby are an Arabian horse stable and a camel enclosure. Night is the best time to visit. The Lebanese, Iranian and Yemeni restaurants and shisha cafés along the main street fill up, and you can try machboos, Qatar's traditional rice dish, along with grilled meat and Arabic sweets. Admission is free. Getting there: exit at Souq Waqif station on the Gold Line metro. It is about a 15-minute walk from the Museum of Islamic Art, so it works well to visit in the afternoon after the museum.
Opening hours
About 10:00am–12:00pm and 4:00–11:00pm (open Friday afternoons)
Nearby sights
- Msheireb Downtown Doha & Msheireb Museums
- Doha Corniche
- Museum of Islamic Art
- National Museum of Qatar
- Al Bidda Park
- Old Doha Port & Mina District
- Fire Station: Artist in Residence
- Imam Muhammad ibn Abd al-Wahhab Mosque (State Grand Mosque)