• Bangladesh!

    Bangladesh: Traditional houses. Go Now!

    Bangladesh
    This low-lying country has historic ties to India and Pakistan, but today maintains a wholly unique culture. Explore Bangladesh!

  • Indonesia!

    Indonesia: Lombok. Go Now!

    Indonesia
    This archipelago nation is culturally diverse from big cities to isolated islands. Begin Your Journey!

  • Jordan!

    Jordan: Petra. Go Now!

    Jordan
    Tucked away in this Middle Eastern country, the famed city of Petra (pictured) links the past to the present culture. Explore Jordan!

  • Mongolia!

    Mongolia: Desert. Go Now!

    Mongolia
    This vast country has a culture that spans past and present... a nomadic life shifting to a modern & sedentary society. Begin Your Journey!

  • Kyrgyzstan!

    Kyrgyzstan: Tian Shan Mountains. Go Now!

    Kyrgyzstan
    The mountains, including the Tian Shan Mountains (pictured), give Kyrgyzstan a unique culture, partially formed from this isolation from the mountains. Go Now!

Architecture of Qatar

Qatari Architecture - Doha
Doha

Qatar, like much of the Persian Gulf coast has few early architectural structures. The peninsula is primarily a desert and historically few people have lived in the area outside a couple coastal settlements. Due to this there is almost no architecture until the arrival of Islam in the 600s.

After the arrival of Islam in the 600s mosques were constructed, but these were simple in form and stylistically the same as mosques elsewhere on the Arabian Peninsula and in the Middle East. Many of the early mosques were made of wood and other perishable materials, so no longer exist.

It was not until the 1900s and 2000s when Qatar gained money (from oil) that architecture could receive the money to make it last. By this point numerous new techniques and materials were available to construction and much of Qatar was built with modern materials in a modern or post-modern style. Today the country is home to skyscrapers and is more modern in appearance than most places. Among the most striking pieces of recent architecture is the Museum of Islamic Art in Doha, designed by I.M. Pei.

This page was last updated: May, 2014