Katara: All you need to know

Oct 18, 2022

Qatar provides a dynamic blend of heritage and modernism with its astounding assortment of cultural institutions, including museums, galleries, and public art. Katara, which is spelled in the archaic way, is a well-described cultural hamlet tucked between the West Bay banking district's sparkling skyscrapers and the Pearl neighborhood's half-moon buildings. Qatar's preferred location for art, culture, and gastronomy is Katara, which is bordered by a serene beach on one side and the twin Katara Hills on the other.

This unique destination is easily accessible via Doha Metro using the Red Line. You can hop off at Katara metro station and enjoy a host of things to do here.

Following are some interesting places to visit in Katara:

Katara Cultural Village

A cultural village located in the heart of Doha, Katara Cultural Village has been the hub of creativity, a source of information, and ultimately, the chicest destination in the country. The village poses as a blend of tradition and modernity and serves as a ‘guardian of heritage and traditions' in the country.

You will find various events and activities from local, regional, and international platforms including workshops, exhibitions, festivals, and performances. Serving the purpose of being a multi-dimensional project in the country, the Cultural Village acts as a stage for spreading awareness about the importance of different cultures.

21 high street

If you notice a giant gift box while exploring the Village, know that you’ve come across the luxurious high street that will blow you away with its impeccable design. The air-conditioned outdoor space will make your visit all the more lush, as you explore high-end brands, making it an exquisite outdoor shopping experience. Known for its glamorous architecture and alfresco dining options, this multi-dimensional project is also home to the iconic French department store Galeries Lafayette.

Katara Beach

Whether it's the weather you want to enjoy or spend time with friends and family, the ticketed Katara beach is the perfect choice to relax and enjoy the blue waters of Qatar. Dive into the clear blue waters or enjoy the serenity of this natural beach in Doha. The beach has its own family and men-only spaces, making it all the more appealing for the masses.

You can opt for various water sports here as there are also equipment rentals and services available that will allow you to parasail, water ski, and enjoy boat rides among the list of things to do. Or, you could get Karak from the kiosks and book yourself a lounger here as your children go off to enjoy the kid’s play area.

Katara also hosts an exclusive Katara Beach Club that has a gym, spa, and fitness studio that offers holistic treatments. A member's exclusive club, you can avail the indoor pool, grab a bite at the cafe or simply take advantage of the private beach with its cabanas!

Contact: 5544 9862
Timing:Beach no.3: from 3:30 PM until 11:00PM.
Beaches no. 4 & 5: from 3:30PM until 11:00PM.
Beach Activities: from 3:30 pm till the sunset
Swimming ends at sunset. Last time for purchasing watersports tickets minimum of 30 min before sunset.
For further information, visit Katara Beach’s website

Image credits: Regency holiday

Katara hills

Take in the dynamic views of Katara as you explore the village by foot on its North and South Hills. The man-made hills will help you relax as you take in the greenery and enjoy the views of the Katara Cultural Village and Katara beach. The entire passage will give you the perfect view of the iconic landmarks of Katara including the Pigeon Towers, Katara Mosque, Galeries Lafayette to name a few.

Hike up the lush landscape of the hills or plan a picnic here, you’ll find yourself enjoying even the simplest of activities here given the glorious views. And if nothing else comes to mind, simply follow the walking paths and you’ll find your way to any of the iconic views. Home to the only waterfall river in the country, you’ll find yourself stumbling across various little interesting points at the park. If you get tired while exploring, take shade under the various trees, exported from different regions of the world. Amplify this experience as you become part of the glowing lights in the park at night.

If you’re looking to dine with an experience, check out Bayt el Talleh on the North Hills and enjoy the best of food and unmatched views. If you’re visiting in winter, drop by Kashta Katara by Sukar Pasha on top of the South Hills and take in the luxury that this restaurant has to offer!

Image Credits: Pinterest

Padel Gardens

At the summit of the breathtaking Katara Hills is the recently inaugurated Padel Garden, which has outdoor padel courts. The padel garden offers flexible hours, and booking the courts is simple. To increase comfort and enjoyment, the ladies' padel court is covered. Additionally, there are some amazing food and café shops just next to the padel courts where you can relax after an exhilarating game.

Locations: Padel Garden, Katara Hills

Contact: +974 3330 9090

For Booking: Download their mobile application from Google Play Store or App Store

Prices: 1 hour: QAR 200, 1.5 Hours: QAR 250, 2 Hours: QAR 350

For further information visit their instagram!

Katara Mosque

The Katara Masjid is one of Qatar's most stunning mosques. Zainab Fadil Oglu, a well-known Turkish mosque architect, created the structure. The mosque has a gorgeous interior design that adds even more glitz, as well as an outside surface decorated with turquoise and purple mosaic. The prayer niche (mihrab), the minaret, the dome, and the external and interior architectural designs were all influenced by well-known mosques that can be seen in numerous Muslim-majority towns and capitals. Along with these noteworthy features, the masjid is filled with beautiful handiwork, including mosaic tiles, decorations, and inscriptions.

Katara Amphitheater

This 3,275 square meter amphitheater in ancient Greek design has Islamic elements, especially in its arched entrances. It can hold up to 5000 people and offers spectacular views of both the cultural hamlet and the sea on each side. Between the amphitheater and the river is an art project called The Force of Nature, which shows Mother Nature hurling the globe with a piece of fabric and illustrates how helpless humans are in the face of nature.

Al Thuraya planetarium

Al Thuraya Planetarium is a free-entry building located in Katara Cultural Village is dedicated to astronomy through entertainment and education. Featuring a gallery and a museum, the planetarium is named after Thuraya (the Seven Sisters, cluster of seven bright stars) also known as Pleiades M45, which is quite symbolic to Arab history. There is a full-dome digital system with a 22-meter screen and 200-person seating capacity. The screens are quite well-equipped to showcase 2D as well as 3D tutorial shows. The museum section of the planetarium showcases models of the solar system planets alongside astronomical figures and history. The most prominent exhibit is the splitting of the moon, which is reminiscent of the era of Prophet Muhammed PBUH.

Al Thuraya Planetarium also runs free screenings of astronomical movies twice every Monday and Wednesday, the schedule of which can be found on the Katara Instagram.

Location: Building No: 41, Opposite Gate #6 of Katara beach, Katara

Timings: 8 am to 8 pm

Arab Postal Stamp Museum

Katara also has a small Arab Postal Stamp Museum that houses a multi-theme postal stamp collection from 22 Arab countries.

Katara Art Center

The Katara Art Center is a hub for all creative artists, designers, and public interested in contemporary art and creative disciplines. The center is where like-minded artists collaborate and engage in endeavours, workshops, and showcases dedicated to historical as well as contemporary art.

Location: Building no 5, Katara

Timings: 11 am to 9 pm

5—9 pm (Fridays)

Public Art installations

Gandhi's Three Monkeys

A three-part sculpture of three heads in military attire, one wearing a gas mask, one a soldier, and the other wearing a hood, can be spotted while strolling around the Katara Cultural Village, a hub for cultural interaction. People are frequently stopped in their tracks by Subodh Gupta's stunning works of art so they can look up and consider the significance of the installation known as "Gandhi's Three Monkeys."

Cooking utensils, old pails, traditional Indian lunch boxes, and glass bowls are combined to create each artwork, which explores the difficult issues of war and peace. In its entirety, the public artwork is influenced by Mahatma Gandhi's metaphor of the three wise monkeys, which symbolizes the adage "see no evil, hear no evil, say no evil."

The Force of Nature II

The iconic Katara Amphitheatre, which was designed to incorporate Islamic characteristics and the idea of traditional Greek theater, is located farther inside the Cultural Village. "The Force of Nature II," a sizable sculpture made of bronze, stainless steel, and aluminum that depicts a woman throwing a planet in circles, is placed in front of the 5,000-person capacity monument.

The artwork was created by modern Italian artist Lorenzo Quinn as a tribute to Mother Nature and a reminder of both the force of nature and of humanity's duty to the planet. In Qatar, the work of public art was unveiled in October 2011.

Oryx going ahead

The first work of public art by street artist Martin Ron in Qatar was finished over the course of five days at the beginning of 2020. The enormous painting depicts an oryx breaking through the wall of building 40 at the Katara Cultural Village, with the Doha cityscape in the evening in the background. On the animal's forehead, you can even make out the outline of Qatar if you look closely. The artwork is meant to reflect Qatar's national animal and the people's pride.

Katara cinema

Katara Cinema, can easily be considered as Qatar’s most luxurious cinema, redefining the public’s movie-watching experience.

At Katara Cinema, a unique VIP experience awaits you, where you can watch movies in style thanks to the combination of latest technology and exceptional customer service.

The cinema is located at the Katara Cultural Village, Building 49.

It includes four screens, and other high-tech amenities to serve as the perfect destination for entertainment for all Qatari nationals, residents, and tourists.

All of the cinema’s screens are fitted with Christie Real Laser projectors, which deliver outstanding vibrant image quality. These come with robust Dolby Atmos sound systems, which use ground-breaking spatial audio technology to deliver the most lifelike audio experience.

Another distinctive feature of the cinema is that guests may order food and drinks from their seats for all screens. The first-of-its-kind in Qatar, Katara Cinema also offers exclusive private balconies for a family or group of four.

Moviegoers can choose up to three choices of tickets - normal (single seat), Platinum (suitable for two people) and lounge (private space for four people). All tickets are available for purchase at the cinema or online at Q-Tickets, prices vary according to type, starting from QR185.

Tasty Street

An exemplary initiative by Katara cultural village aimed at promoting domestic tourism and the food and beverage industry in Qatar - Tasty street is a drive-through food street with all outlets stationed in glistening mini huts synchronised into two lanes. The 6,300 sqm venue can accommodate numerous cars even at peak periods and you’ll find ordering and takeaway fast, and easy. It is a beautiful sight to behold, especially in winters, when the huts seem to glow like fireflies at night.

Most shops in the street open up by 3 pm and operate till midnight. Whether you’re in the mood for a burger, pasta, pizza, or just kebabs, the street is filled with multiple options for each, including QQQ burgers, Loaf burgers, Republic, Charger, Steak, On drive, LIT, Luqimaty, Eat Pasta, Monkey burger, Sheel w mashi, Kabsa w dakus and many more.

The street has scores of coffee shops, boba / bubble tea shops, ice cream and dessert shops featuring brands like PAWS, Churros, Scoop of sugar, Tabiboba, Minis, Kane Mochi, Lemons, IcyMelon, TZ Coffee, Serve, and Karak Cup.

Some of the most trending and instagrammable desserts and cafes can be found here. Be it the influencer (Haneen Al Saifi) owned - Aurora Cafe that offers glittering drinks or watermelon ice-cream sandwiched in a watermelon slice at Mr. Juice, Indian street food at Jaldi Jaldi or endless crisp at CHKN, Tasty street is a happy place for adults and kids alike.

Restaurants

Katara has an array of international restaurants offering its visitors a spectacular sea view whilst they enjoy their scrumptious meals. Here is a list of restaurants you can explore the next time you visit Katara cultural village:

974 Delights - Visit to indulge in French inspired chocolate and handmade pastries.
Ard Canaan - Offers Arabic cuisine from all countries in the Levant - Palestine, Syria, Lebanon, Jordan and parts of Sinai.
BOHO Social - Housed in a circular structure on top of Katara Club, adorned with an impressive bohemian interior, this place offers not just the best view of the Arabian Gulf but also an excellent diversity of culinary arts.
Cafe Pouchkine - Popular for their scrumptious High Tea with a full choice of superior teas and coffees, served with delicious scones, meringues, macaroons, mini sandwiches, pastries, to-share bites, sweetmeats and desserts.
Chac’late - As the name gives away -- Chac’late offers mouth-melting first class brands of chocolate and chocolate inspired dishes from UK, Italy and Switzerland, as well as authentic home-made Arabic flavours such as karak and tahina.
Chapati-and-Karak - One of Qatar’s most acclaimed cafes, it offers classic chapati (bread) and karak (milk tea), which is a quick snack and is a staple for many locals.
CioccolatItaliani - It is the ultimate boutique Italian chocolate cafe - a world of chocolate combined with ice cream, pastry, coffee and design.
Hellas Greek - The interior at Hellas indulges you in the aroma of the Greek islands, while the food takes you straight to the heart of Athens.
Le Vesuvio - Named after the famous volcano in Naples, le Vesuvio offers a full menu of exquisite Italian cuisine. The premium quality of food includes piping-hot pizzas from an authentic wood-fired oven.
L’wzaar Seafood Market - L'wzaar is also about variety, where fresh seafood (displayed in a 4 metre long stretch) is served in a number of different styles: Classic Mediterranean, Japanese – in the form of a sushi bar – Middle Eastern, Far Eastern and Indian.
Saffron Lounge - An Indian restaurant that takes you on a journey through India, presenting different dishes from the various regions of the country.
Sukar Pasha Ottoman - Indulge in the majestic ottoman era ambience, as you go through their delectable Turkish dishes.