Browsing 'Qatar Museums' News

byShabina S. Khatri
Culture
byShabina S. Khatri
Culture

Sheikha Al Mayassa

Sheikh Tamim murals at MIA Park

The dozens of Emir murals that have been posted and signed around Qatar now have a new home: the MIA Park.

There, more than 40 of the posters that bear messages of support from thousands of people in Qatar comprise a new exhibition called “Tamim Al Majid: Celebration of Unity.”

The display was opened by Qatar Museums chairperson and the Emir’s sister Sheikha Al Mayassa yesterday.

The murals bear the now-iconic image of the Emir by Qatari artist Ahmed bin Majed Almaadheed.

Since the Gulf dispute began in June, posters of the Emir have popped up all across the country.

Residents have been invited to inscribe messages of support on the murals, some of which filled up very quickly and had to be replaced with new murals.

Community graffiti

In a statement, Qatar Museums said:

As the guardians of the country’s heritage and culture, we at Qatar Museums wanted to capture this significant moment in Qatar’s history and the artistic expression it inspired by giving it a bigger platform and audience.”

It added that “the personalized ‘graffiti’ messages are some of the truest examples of public art in Qatar.”

The opening of the exhibition comes as the Gulf dispute reaches an impasse of sorts.

It also follows Saudi Arabia’s recent public support of a little-known Qatari sheikh who analysts suggested the country was presenting as an alternative to Sheikh Tamim.

Thoughts?

byShabina S. Khatri
Photos
byShabina S. Khatri
Photos

All photos by Ray Toh

Its doors temporarily open to visitors, Qatar’s upcoming National Museum has welcomed hundreds of curious guests in the past few weeks.

The museum is offering tours to Culture Pass members before it closes at the end of this year for exhibition installation.

It will officially make its public debut in December 2018, which is at least two years later than originally planned.

The inside

Located across from the Corniche near the Museum of Islamic Art, the National Museum has been designed to look like a desert rose growing out of the ground.

Designed by architect Jean Nouvel, and is made up of several interlocking discs that mimic the crystal formation.

Ray Toh

Qatar National Museum

According to visitors, the concept has made for a unique interior, in that it does not consist of one large space for exhibitions.

This will likely lend to some creative curation. There is also little natural light.

However, restaurant seating is slated to be outdoor and will face the sea, tour operators said.

Other offerings

Eventually, the 40,000 sq meter structure will include 8,000 sq meters of permanent exhibition space and a further 2,000 sq meters for temporary, rotating exhibitions.

The centerpiece of the National Museum was restored in 2015.

QM

Restored palace of Sheikh Abdullah bin Jassim Al-Thani

It is the palace of the former ruler and “father of modern Qatar,” Sheikh Abdullah bin Jassim Al Thani.

Al Thani lived in the palace until it became the country’s former National Museum in 1975.

The National Museum will also house a 220-seat auditorium, two restaurants and a cafe, two shops, a food forum, a research center and laboratories and a park with indigenous plants, Qatar Museums previously said.

Have you seen it yet? Thoughts?

byDoha News Team
Life
byDoha News Team
Life

QM

Museum of Islamic Art Doha

Organic coffee, Thai ice cream rolls, Indian chapati and poori, and local fusion food will be among the cuisines on offer when six food trucks open at the Museum of Islamic Art (MIA) Park in “the coming weeks.”

The trucks were chosen as part of an initiative by Qatar Museums (QM) and Qatar Development Bank.

The goal is to support local entrepreneurs while bolstering one of Doha’s most popular recreation spaces, the groups explained in a statement.

Gazanfarulla Khan

Doha Bus

In an announcement today, QM said the trucks will include a re-purposed hop-on Doha Bus, which will sell Qatari fusion food and drinks.

The other mobile outlets are:

  • Coffee-Bike: This mini-chain, which already has outlets in locations including The Pearl and Doha Festival City, will provide organic coffee, juices, smoothies, sandwiches and desserts.
  • Dareen Sweets: Serving sweet and savory biscuits, cakes and drinks, this store is already popular at Souq Al Wakrah.
  • Ice Rolls: The Thai concept that already has a stall at Gulf Mall will offer park customers rolled ice cream in cups.
  • Burger and Burmait: American food with a local twist will be on offer here, using locally sourced ingredients. The start-up already featured its wares at Chi Al-Shiqab earlier this year.
  • Poori & Karak: Here, Indian chapati, poori and parata sandwiches will be served. The MIA Park outlet will be the fifth in the country for the mini-chain, which already operates in Muaither, Al Gharafa, Abu Hamour and Al Wakrah.

QM described the winning businesses as “some of the best new arrivals on the Qatar food truck scene” and said they will open in the coming weeks.

“Additional food operators will be selected for future QM sites in the coming months,” it added.

Long-awaited

Local foodies have been eagerly anticipating the arrival of food trucks at MIA since QM opened the application process in June 2016.

At that time, it sought five trucks with a planned October 2016 launch. However, the project did not take off then.

Qatar’s food truck scene has been expanding in recent years.

Its first truck is operated by Burgeri, which tours the country offering gourmet burgers and hot dogs to hungry residents.

Cafe #999, outside Doha Fire Station, also has a truck. And other foodie ventures run pop-up stalls across town, particularly during the annual Qatar International Food Festival (QIFF).

Doha News

QIFF

Last December, the Ministry of Economy and Commerce (MEC) sought to expand the market of mobile businesses.

It invited local entrepreneurs to apply to be one of 12 companies offering roaming food, beauty services and service repairs around Doha.

MIA/Facebook

MIA Park Bazaar

MIA Park is already popular with local foodies, thanks to its weekly bazaar. It features lots of home cooks and bakers keen to sell their wares.

Will you visit the new food trucks when they open soon? Thoughts?