Introduction
Qatar is a country in the Middle East with an exclusive interest from the rest of the world. The country enjoys exclusive economic performance and its attractive cultural practices. There are various principles that make it easy for the country to remain a highly valuable country in the Middle East following its exclusive concern on major issues that may affect the country. The cultural practices of the region vary from a wide line of religion, food, clothing, language, tourism, as well as a set of events that make the cultural practices evident and realistic. Each of the cultural values is significant in one way or the other.
The main religion in the country is Islam. The religion is based on Qur’an, which is the holy book for the Muslims. The teachings of the religion are directly linked to the teachings of Muhammed. The Muslims believe in Muhammed as the last prophet of God. Therefore, they should follow the teachings o fthe prophet. They strongly believe in God, and they have exclusive hope in God as the giver of life, and they worship Him every day. Muslim is one of the influential religions in the world (El-Islam, 2008).
Language
Qatar is an Arabic country where the main language is Arabic. The language gives the sense of belonging for the country since it is a country in the Middle East where Arabic is the main language.
Events
The Muslims believe in certain religious practices that make the religion strong. One of the most common events in Qatar is Ramadan. It is a period that occurs in the ninth month of every Islamic calendar where the Muslims fast for the whole month. They celebrate the end of the period with exclusive celebrations and massive dining (Travelog, 2010).
The Ramadan is followed by another event known as Eid. It takes place in August or September and Qatar celebrates it in all regions within the country. The Eid event becomes extremely critical following the existence of Doha. The event is characterized with feasts, dances, as well as performances (El-Islam, 2008).
The other cultural event in Qatar is the art festival. Local artists possess exclusive talents, and the country holds Art festival every December. During the event, many art galleries, as well as museums, hold exhibitions to show their artistic prowess.
Also, the country holds the Doha cultural festival, which occurs in every March of the year in the capital city of Qatar. In the event, traditional dances, music, as well as cuisine mark the beauty of the event. The event is extremely famous in the country and marks major cultural activity for Qatar.
In addition, the country holds the Doha Tribeca Film Festival. The film event holds enthusiasts, actors, directors, and critics from Qatar. It is held in the month of October in Doha. The event takes place for five days, and it began in 2009.
Qatar Marine Festival is also an annual event in Qatar. The event began in 2010 and took place in the Katara Cultural Village. The event includes musical performances, seal shows, as well as aquatic animal displays.
Food
Food in the country is a reflection of the Muslim food preferences. The food is rich Iranian, African, and Indian influences. However, modern international favorites are common in the country.
According to the traditions of the country, people eat lightly in the morning as well as evening. Their main meal is in the middle of the day. However, the habit is changing with time as many families prefer to take their main meal in the evening. For many members of the society, the Friday midday meal after prayers is the most common and the main family gathering. During Ramadan, Muslims fast between dawn and dusk. During the period, festive meals are served after nightfall (Ottsen & Berntsen, 2013).
The Qatari people are famous for their hospitality, as they reflect on Bedouin heritage through generosity for food and drink. The Qatari people will take offence if visitors turn down their food and drinks. In Qatar, eating is an important social as well as a family ritual. In the culture, it is customary to taste and consume a large number of dishes in a meal (Ottsen & Berntsen, 2013).
Rice is the staple food for the Qatari people. The food is commonly eaten during the Ramadan festive. They make the rice delicious through use of spices. In addition, seafood and the Machtbus are common in the Qatar dishes. However, the Qatari people do not serve the food to visitors as they seem cheap food. Camel milk is a common drink among the Qatari people living in the desert (Ottsen & Berntsen, 2013).
Qatar has some foods and drinks that are illegal. In the country, the safest and most consumed meat is Halal. During slaughtering, the name of God must be uttered at the time of killing the animal. The meat cannot be eaten until the blood out of the animal’s body fully drains before it dies. However, pork is illegal in the country (Travelog, 2010).
However, as time elapses the country is being influenced by the American style of fast food. As a result, the country has licensed fast food companies such as KFC, Mac Donald’s and other fast-food restaurants.
Tourism
Qatar has major attractions for tourists. The numerous cultural events that the country hosts is a major attraction for the tourists. There are numerous events such as Eid, Art Festival of Qatar, Doha cultural festival, Doha Tribeca Film Festival, as well as Qatar Marine Festival. The events are attractive to many people around the world as they would wish to witness the tourism richness of the country (Travelog, 2010).
The architectural prowess of the country is a major tourists attraction. There are numerous house designs in the country that make it extremely attractive to tourists. The Doha center is an attractive site that is the cradle of culture, featuring concerts, as well as plays from the world. Doha is a home to much daring architecture, which define the attractiveness of the city. The buildings in the city are of unique colors, shapes, and textures. For example, the Barzan Towers is major in tourist attraction. The tower is built in the Umm Salal Mohammed municipality. The tower was built in “T” shape (Travelog, 2010).
In addition, Qatar is home to attractive parks. For example, there is the Aspire Park. The park is characterized with massive green oasis that is hidden behind the Villagio and Hyatt plaza. The Aspire Park is the largest park in the country, and its fabulous contrast makes it a unique attraction site for tourists (Travelog, 2010).
Sports are also major attractions for tourists in the country. There are sports ranging from marine sports, such as skating and bowling. Following the attractiveness of the country, Qatar was considered the host to the 2022 football world cup (Travelog, 2010).
Conclusion
The Qatar culture is extremely wide. It is embedded to religion, language, events, tourism, food, among other elements. The culture marks the uniqueness of the country hence attracting a lot of people to witness them. The Qatari people are ready to protect their culture despite the influence on their way.
References
El-Islam, M. F. (2008). Arab Culture And Mental Health Care. Transcultural Psychiatry, 45(4), 671-682.
Mcniff, J. (2011). New cultures of critical reflection in Qatar. Educational Action Research, 19(3), 279-296.
Ottsen, C. L., & Berntsen, D. (2013). The cultural life script of Qatar and across cultures: Effects of gender and religion.Memory, 22(4), 1-18.
Travelog, T. (2010). Qatar--the new destination for culture vultures.TravelOG, 1(1), 72-75.
