The inspiring landscape of Katara

Katara Cultural Village, also called the Valley of Cultures, is a unique place to visit for everyone, especially those fascinated by traditions, theatre, art and architecture.The cultural village was constructed on reclaimed coastal land on the eastern coast between the Pearl-Qatar and West Bay to the north of Doha. The soft-opening took place in 2010 on the occasion of the Doha Cultural Capital of the Arab World year. The valley is conceptualised to replicate Qatari culture through conventional architecture and contains many activities. This project includes heritage centres, opera house, libraries, an amphitheatre, art galleries and other academic facilities – not to mention cafes, museum, business establishments, green areas and information centres.The entire Katara complex is built with a fusion of oriental architectural and retro-romantic style, which is very different from most of Doha’s charming new cultural buildings. Other than being a forum for scholars and artistes, Katara aims in acknowledging and promoting cultural awareness in Qatar and raising the artistic energies through the administration of different organisations, societies and facilities. Build to epitomise Qatari traditional architecture and heritage, Katara’s landscape makes it a exquisite environment for cultural, creative, intellectual and artistic activities through carnivals, social events, symposiums, exhibitions, concerts and all other kinds of artistic ventures.— Text and photos by Mohamed Samad Imran M