Qatar

In January 2012, travelling home from Sweden, I stopped off in Doha, Qatar, in the Middle East. I made the most of a short stopover: after purchasing a visa, I jumped in a taxi and headed into the city with two hours up my sleeve and a five-day beard.

Souk Waqif ('standing market') was a bustling maze of mud-rendered corridors and cobblestone alleys. Vendors sold fabrics, traditional Arabic garments, perfumes, spices, nuts, tools, birds and food.  Old men sat chatting in their wheelbarrows waiting for their next load. An amazing place to wander through.

 

Large stable complex outside Souk Waqif.

While exploring the stables, a couple of locals invited me to sit and drink tea with them in this tent. I removed my shoes and sat on the rug. There was a large stone in the middle with a small fire and few tea pots. Abdullah and Adhem poured Arabic tea and we drank from tiny little cups. The King's office is in the background.