Reimagining Heritage

Ain Mohammed Heritage Village

Ain Mohammed is a village located 3.5 km north of Al Zubarah Archaeological Site. It sits directly opposite the new Al Zubarah Visitor Centre.

The village dates back to the nineteenth century and is believed to have been abandoned in the late twentieth century. It consists of 24 buildings, including 2 mosques and a fort. Due to the variety of building materials and styles used in the architecture, it appears that the area went through three different periods of construction.

The village has recently been consolidated in an effort to repurpose it as a site for heritage activities and traditional sports, among other programmes, and overnight stay options.

There are many public artworks in the vicinity of Ain Mohammed Heritage Village, Shadows travelling on the sea of the day by Olafur Eliasson, SlugTurtle TemplEarthby Ernesto Neto, and Maqam I, Maqam II, Maqam III by Simone Fattal.

Al Khulaifi Heritage House

Al Khulaifi Heritage House was built around 1940 by the late Mubarak Al Khulaifi, near the palace of Sheikh Abdullah bin Jassim Al Thani. It features a centralised courtyard with pathways leading to a central reception area (majlis). The design follows traditional Qatari vernacular architecture with elements featuringdanchal beams, and it was restored and repurposed into a restaurant, Bayt Sharq, featuring Qatari fusion cuisine in collaboration with the descendants of the Al Khulaifi family. The house sits in close proximity to Hamad International Airport, and it is the first cultural destination people encounter as they exit the airport towards Doha.

Al Mafjar Heritage Village

Qatar Museums recently signed an agreement with the Seashore Group, one of the largest multi-discipline engineering and contracting companies in Qatar, to restore and refurbish Al Mafjar Heritage Village, an abandoned fishermen’s settlement on the northeast coast. The project’s goal was to transform a heritage village into a tourist attraction while retaining the site’s historic character. This makes it one of the most important restoration projects of Qatari villages undertaken with the support of the private sector. Seashore is working in cooperation with QM’s Departments of Cultural Heritage Protection and Cultural Heritage Conservation to ensure the highest professional standards of conservation and restoration. The project will include cultural and heritage eco-friendly activities and an open-air museum, among other attractions.

Al Ruwais Heritage police station

Al Ruwais Heritage Police Station has been repurposed and is temporarily being used as a site for an exhibition on the archaeological sites Al Ruwaida and Al Rubaiqa before it is transformed into a café inspired by its natural surroundings and beautiful sea view.

Historically such stations were built in close proximity to harbours in order to secure them, and they generally doubled as custom posts to monitor boat traffic in and out of the harbour.