THREE THINGS TO DO IN OMAN AND QATAR

01

Visit Bahla Fort in Oman

Located in the foothills of the Al Hajar mountains, Bahla is a beautiful, fertile and historically important walled city that surrounds a 12th-century Omani fort. The fort itself is recognised as a Unesco World Heritage site and is currently undergoing extensive restoration work, but it is still open to the public. Although most rooms here are currently empty of artefacts, many are inhabited by various local species of mouse-tailed bats.

whc.unesco.org

02

Explore a private museum in Oman

In contrast to Oman’s many governmentrun museums, Bait Al Zubair is a private house that became a museum owned and run by the Zubair family. Their museum displays the family’s collection of Omani artefacts, including everything from ceremonial daggers to clothing and household equipment.

baitalzubairmuseum. com

03

Immerse yourself in modern Arab art in Qatar

With a permanent catalogue largely formed from Sheikh Hassan Bin Mohamed Bin Ali Al Thani’s own private collection, the Mathaf Arab Museum of Modern Art offers a singular vision of the world of modern Arab art. The museum hosts regular special exhibitions and the current show featuring Wael Shawky’s work runs until August 16. The museum is open daily from 8pm to midnight, except Mondays and Fridays. Entry is free, although special exhibitions cost 25 Qatari riyals for adults.

mathaf.org.qa/en