The Katara Traditional Dhow Festival, organised by the Cultural Village Foundation – Katara featuring the region’s maritime heritage, continues to dazzle as patrons and visitors explore the many beautiful activities now being held along the Katara beach promenade.
The 12th edition of the popular festival will run until 18 December as part of the side activities of the FIFA World Cup Qatar 2022™.
Nine participating nations have set up several attractive pavilions which see a daily influx of thousands of visitors to the cultural neighbourhood for an enjoyable tour of the festival. The pavilions highlight the country’s maritime heritage and traditions, voyage into the sea in the past, pearl diving methods, seaside marketplace of the past and related culture and handicrafts.
Heritage houses
The Qatari house, which is in the centre of the dhow festival, embodies a model of the heritage house, reflecting the character of generations of ancient mariners, who lived in the glorious past during an era of hunting and pearl diving. Well-preserved cooking pots, water pots, mattresses, utensils for preparing Arabic coffee, stoves, sailors’ supplies, ropes, fishing and diving equipment, cages, a housing box, and a box of pearl kits, are also on display.
The Omani house also conveys an image of the past and the treasures of maritime heritage and Omani originality presented in detail. Rare exhibits and collectibles document the era of wooden ship making, traditional dhows and pearl diving, forming a wonderful museum that provides tourists with a deeper insight and amazement.
The Saudi House receives guests of the World Cup warmly, welcoming everyone with Arabic coffee and guiding guests on an interesting tour around their display of marine heritage masterpieces and traditional folk industries, especially focusing on the manufacture of ropes, fishing nets, gargoyles and wedges.
The Kuwait pavilion has many crafts and supplies that were used in the past and are closely related to the sea, such as wicker and baskets made of palm fronds – baskets and barns earlier used to store fish and to keep food on board ships.
The Tanzanian house is distinguished by an exhibition that highlights the ancient maritime heritage of the Zanzibar region. It provides bright glimpses into the lives of the first sailors. Pictures document the traditional dhows used in the past and the spices they carried, along with pictures of Arab sailors on the coast of Zanzibar.
The images were photographed by the Coutinho Brothers and photographer Pierre de Lourdes and date back to the period between 1890 and 1950, which embodies an integrated heritage museum with a rich history of fishing, diving and maritime trade.
Katara is preparing to open shows and cultural exhibitions to offer guests more options to learn about the country’s heritage:
- Museum of Traditional Dhows, Building 19 Hall 1 (from 1 Dec)
- World Wonders Balloon Tour Show, Wisdom Square (1-3 Dec)
- Bosnian Folklore event (1-3 Dec)
- Indonesian Exhibition, Building 47 (from 1 Dec)
The Football, Fine Art and Collectibles Exhibition will continue to receive visitors until 18 December.
To learn more about the different activities in Katara, visit katara.net.
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