Souq Wagif - A Modern Nostalgia

  "You don't really need modernity in order to exist totally and fully. You need a mixture of modernity and tradition" Theodore Bikel.

For this blog I’m going to be talking about Souq Wagif in Doha. I will be explaining why and how was the Qatari government successful in blending aspects of modernity along with traditions.


Souq Wagif (The Standing Market) was once a place where Bedouins traded and bargained during weekends, and is a now a masterpiece of architecture, art and cultural heritage. Thousands of people from all around the region still visit Souq Wagif to purchase traditional goods such as spices, food, jewelry, clothes, perfumes and even falcons.

It was first built more than hundred years ago, however, it was renovated and rebuilt in 2004. The unique thing about how it was renovated is that they used traditional building material as well traditional Qatari architectural techniques.

They did that to preserve the authenticity of the Souq and its general appearance, although they have added more buildings for example, the Art Gallery and Center. The aspects of modernity were obvious for instance, Souq Wagif has three world class hotels, cafes and restaurants, both international and traditional Qatari food

I decided that if I were to find out how people really feel about the changes that were made, I have to ask those who directly effected. In this case it was the shop owners. I conducted an interview with two textiles shop owners.


Surprisingly, they both had different opinions regarding the Souq Wagif’s past and presence. The older shop owner preferred the old golden days, the younger one embraced modernity. They both agreed that modernity did make their lives easier.

Modernity is the result of industrialization, and different generations have different opinions regarding how negative or positive our post-tradition present is. Can modernity blend well with traditions? Of course, as they it gets the best of both worlds. Qatar’s economy is booming and even though our society is being restructured and modernized, our government is encouraging us to maintain our traditional values and rich cultural heritage.

In Souq Wagif, the old meets new, the past meets present and the locals meet foreigns as a result of globalization and Mcdonaldization in a sense.

P.S. The photos were included in the video.

Qatari Values through Local Food

For this blog, I will take a closer look at some of the traditional foods eaten in Doha and the Gulf Area, and how the traditions surrounding them reflect the values of the people of this area.

Some of the more popular foods that Arabs of the Gulf eat more often than others include Machboos and Biryani. If you ever happen to dine at an Arabic restaurant, you do not want to miss out on machboos rice with Hamour (species of fish) or Biryani rice with prawns. The pictures below feature these two exquisite foods.





Although it seems like forever ago, I remember a time when having lunch at home was not just about eating food. About ten years and before that, when lunch time came, my family members and I would all gather to eat at the same time from the same huge plate. Back then, lunch time was a special time for all family members to meet and communicate. This union of all family members to have lunch together symbolized our Gulf society’s emphasis on collectivism and the significance we put on our social groups, at least at that time. Nowadays, the only time my family members and I have a chance to eat lunch altogether is on some Fridays. Even when we do eat together, we no longer eat from the same huge plate like we did years back then.

After some thought, I realized that this shift in our behavior is the result of our different day-to-day schedules. Half of my brothers and I no longer go to school. We are all so occupied with our private issues and personal interests, such as academic or career-oriented matters, that we no longer have a chance to meet as a group like we used to. This marks a shift in our behavior from collectivism to individualism. However, this does not imply that I or anyone else necessarily prefers to be isolated and alienated from his or her family members. I see it as an effect of capitalism. We are merely doing what our age requires from us, as today’s capitalist society values economic activity, specifically that which allows a person to earn a better living, thus achieving social mobility and moving up the social status ladder.