See Zog Go: The Art of the Trade and the Art of the State

As I mentioned in my last post, this past weekend (remember, my work week begins on Sunday!) I spent some time with two of Doha's cultural offerings: the Souq Waqif and the Museum of Islamic Art.

Friday evening I spent at the Souq Waqif with a new friend and colleague. The Souq Waqif (alternately the Souk) is the only example of a "traditional" outdoor Arabic marketplace in Doha. In 2009, a new structure replaced the old, though many agree that the new version remains true to the feel of the old trading markets. Here one may haggle over spices and sweets, textiles and antiques, birds and bunnies. Most of the shopkeepers now do post prices, but even those prove flexible, and they often throw in a "gift" if you make a purchase. You can find most anything in the Souq, and at far more reasonable prices than in the many many malls in Doha.

Polly want some Pita?

Bikes Awaiting Deliveries

I really enjoyed the Souq and plan to return weekly. I had only one intense haggling interaction over an embroidered cashmere shawl. Special price, my foot. I refuse to pay 200 riyals for a machine-embroidered piece of fabric with unfinished ends! My lovely new friend and guide let me know that walking away is perfectly acceptable.

Over the course of a few hours I found myself some deliciously fresh dates, loose dried herbs for tea-making, an incense burner, some perfume and a new hat (since I left mine at home - doh!). Despite all these wonderful goodies, my favorite part of the Souq has to be (drumroll, please) the fabric. (I can hear KZog sighing from here . . . )

Cottons and Linens and Silks, Oh My!

Here people often purchase fabric and have a tailor fashion their clothing. Though I spun around in this stall for a good fifteen minutes, I escaped with only four meters of fabric - a light blue cotton shirting and a fun Japanese cotton print - for about $25. If not careful, I might buy my weight in fabric during my stay . . .

My colleague and I dedicated Saturday afternoon to the Museum of Islamic Art. I enjoyed the textures of the museum interior - the walls alternated among wood, rock and stone. The collection itself has much room to grow, and the organization of the objects both complemented Islamic beliefs and adhered to more conventionally Western ideas of "art" museums. Personally, I found the emphasis on objects - Qur'an, textiles, pottery, armor - as art a refreshing change from the dominance of painting and sculpture in art museums in the US. In part because of religious beliefs, much of Islamic art is devoid of painting and sculpture, though text in the museum stressed that figural representations of man and animal did appear in secular art. As a result, curators organized the pieces according to categories such as "patterns", "science in art" and "the figure in art". I realize that many museums in the US include ancient objects, but it seems that once one arrives at the Renaissance, the number of objects dramatically diminishes.

JZog in the Museum of Islamic Art

In any case, the views from the museum dwarfed any prowess of its collections. Chinese American architect I.M. Pei (famous for the Kennedy Library and the Louvre Pyramid) designed the exterior of the buildings, which proved more than worth the donation only entry fee.