Walking through Souq Waqif is an adventure for all five senses. The smell of cardamom, cinnamon, and rose water drifts from spice shops piled high with colourful sacks. Craftspeople sell handmade baskets, fabrics, and traditional Qatari clothing. Musicians sometimes play in the alleyways in the evenings.
One of the most unusual parts of the souq is the falcon market. Qatar has a long tradition of falconry – training wild birds to hunt – and the falcon market is where people buy, sell, and care for these magnificent birds. You can see falconers carrying their birds on special gloves called gauntlets.
There is also a pet market, restaurants serving traditional Qatari food, and a section for Arabic perfumes. Many Qatari families visit Souq Waqif in the evenings when the air is cooler. The buildings have been carefully restored to look the way they did hundreds of years ago, with thick mud-plaster walls that stay cool in the heat.