Today’s first stop was the National Museum of Qatar, which is “dedicated to bringing to life the unique story of Qatar and its people in an innovative, holistic, and immersive way.” It was designed to look like a desert rose, a cool formation of sand crystals in the desert. We saw some really cool exhibits here, and I learned a ton — especially from Maryam, our guide for the week. For instance, I learned about the tapestries in the fifth and sixth photos: these are sadu, an embroidery created by Bedouin women. There are only 52 women left who know this craft, and Embrace Doha is trying to keep the art form alive by offering workshops to children. Each sadu takes a long time to complete, not because the women work slowly or because it is challenging but because they have to wait for the animal’s fur to grow in order to brush them and get enough to continue. Speaking of Bedouin, these are “people by the land,” a nomadic group who live in one area for no more than 15 days before moving to the next spot. They live in tents (like this replica in the courtyard of the museum) and rely heavily on camels, horses, and falcons. Travelers needing a place to stay would look for sadu that had a lot of white in the weaving — the more white, the more camels the family had, which meant the more wealth they had and the more likely they would be to have the means to share. The museum also talked a lot about the pearling industry that drove Qatar’s economy until the early 1900s — when a man in Japan discovered how to create cultured pearls. Pearl divers would be on the sea for 5-6 months at a time and would do countless dives each day — without the aid of SCUBA and instead with a heavy stone attached by rope to their body to help them reach the floor faster. Check out the Pearl Carpet of Baroda, which is “embroidered with around 1.5 million Basra pearls” and which “was originally intended as a cover for the tomb of the Prophet Mohammed at Medina.” This photo does not do it justice. This is one of my favorite photos of the day: the museum was filled with school kids, and these girls were, much like myself, trying to decide which tiara was their favorite. Here are some other artifacts from the museum: There was also a beautiful outdoor area (around the Bedouin tent): Lunch at Jiwan today was the most incredible dining experience I’ve ever had. First, it was at the top of the museum, and it had a balcony with the most amazing views. Second, it had approximately a gazillion courses. I mean, just look at this culinary journey. Y'all, we had pre-dessert, dessert, and post-dessert. Like, what?! Is this real life?! Are you interested in knowing what each of these dishes is? Me too. I didn't know until after I ate them, but I tried both camel and barracuda today. After lunch, we went to the Museum of Islamic Art, which “represents Islamic art from three continents over 1,400 years” and aims to “shed light on our origins to illuminate our future.” The building itself was stunning — designed by I.M. Pei — and had incredible views. The museum holds a huge collection of jewelry, tapestries, calligraphic panels, woodwork, glass, and more. The necklace below is from the 18th century and includes seventeen large diamonds, likely from the Deccan, and green emeralds from Colombia; it would have been worn by a man at ceremonial functions. The artifact below contains the entire text of the Qur’an. Y’all, the script was TINY. And this is a textile that decorated the tomb of the Prophet Muhammad inside the mosque in Medina; according to the placard, it “includes religious inscriptions mentioning him and the first four caliphs.” Here are some other pieces of art I really liked. I'm pretty much obsessed with Arabic calligraphy and the intricate (and beautiful) patterns in Arabic art and architecture. Finally, we went to Al Wakrah, an old souq (that is clearly not as busy as Souq Waqif). Our main purpose for going here was to visit Embrace Doha, our gracious hosts, for more learning as well as a traditional Qatari meal. We were first served a date with Arabic coffee — as it calms the stomach. Traditionally, this is served by the youngest male of the family, and all communication is done non-verbally. While it is often done without request, if you want more coffee, you hold your cup out to the young man; if you do not want any more, you shake the cup to signify that you are done. Speaking of coffee, it is served only a little at a time. First, this means that it is always hot. Second, it means it doesn’t burn your fingers (since the top of the small cup will be without coffee). Third, it shows attentiveness and generosity to guests — if their coffee is being frequently refilled. At Embrace Doha, we also learned how men greet each other (with a handshake as strangers, with two kisses on the right cheek for acquaintances, and with two nose taps for close friends), how women greet each other (with a handshake for strangers, with three kisses on the right cheek for acquaintances, and with hugs for close friends), and how members of opposite genders greet each other (with the more conservative/Muslim person deciding). We learned, too, about the different clothing. In some of my photos, you may have seen men wearing white thobes. The white is symbolic of the sails the men saved from ships when they burned them out of anger for the decline in the pearling industry. They also wear a ghutra (white head covering) or a shemagh (red and white head covering) with an exhale — a black cord, which was originally used to tie down camels at night and then held atop the man’s head during the day. Most Muslim women in Qatar wear black abayas and black shelas (head coverings). Some women cover their face with niqabs or battulas, but some do not at all; this is a cultural and/or personal preference, not connected to religion. Interestingly, the battula — a leather face covering — also serves as a facial, particularly for older women who put indigo powder in it. The traditional color is black because at one point, an Iraqi store owner had trouble selling black fabric and asked a poet for help — he wrote about his beloved lady wearing black, and the next day, many women showed up to buy black fabric. The color then became popular due to practicality. Finally, check out the incredible meal they served us. I’ll tell you what, though: my hips don’t really love floor-dining. Oh! And before dinner, we walked through the souq and to the Persian Gulf -- where I met a cat and waded in the water. It was so cool. It was another phenomenal -- and busy -- day. This whole experience has been wonderful so far. I'm so, so grateful for the opportunity -- and excited for what tomorrow will bring!
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