Exploring Doha’s Katara Cultural Village, Doha, Qatar

Katara Cultural Village was constructed on reclaimed land along Doha’s coastline as a centre for culture and the arts. The website describes it as: "an exceptional project of hope for human interaction through art and cultural exchange - a project made possible thanks to the inspired vision, solid faith and wise leadership of HH Sheikh Hamad Bin Khalifa Al Thani, the Father Emir of the State of Qatar … It is a place where people come together to experience the cultures of the world."

Katara takes its name from the original one for this region, Catara, the first record of which appears in Ptolemy’s Geography, written c. 150 A.D. It sits on the waterfront some distance from the centre, so we travelled there on the city’s excellent Metro system.

It cost us just six QAR for a day pass, not much over £1. The Metro is easy to use but you need to be aware that there are three categories of carriage: Standard, Family, and Gold Club. The latter cost more, and the Family carriages are designated for women travelling alone as well as families with children. So if like us you are travelling as a couple you will need to use the Standard carriages. There are three lines and all the trains are driverless. ...... (follow the instructions below for accessing the rest of this article).