TRAVEL SPECIAL....Qatar - A Must Visit For Art Lovers

Qatar - A Must Visit For Art Lovers  Pallavi Gaitonde explores the flourishing art and cultural hub of Doha A winner as an outstanding art and cultural destination, Doha is boastful of becoming a vibrant and thriving hotspot with magnificent collections of European as well as Regional Art. Visitors to Doha can witness the impressive art collections at Museum of Islamic Art with its stunning architecture and seaside park. The Arab Museum of Modern Art showcases the development and achievements of Arab art over the years. For an immersive journey into the culture and heritage of Qatar, visitors ought to experience the Katara Culture Village as well as The PearlQatar famous for its fine quality shopping and dining options. Even a stopover in Doha can be the best thing to happen if you are an art enthusiast travelling by Qatar Airways. The Airline along with Qatar Tourism Authority offers attractive stopover packages and you don't even need to book  them in advance. You simply head to the Doha City Tour Desk on arrival and they will do the needful. All you need is a minimum of five hours on your hands at Hamad Airport. Fantastic news, isn't it! Qatar also plays host to quite a few art events throughout the year. The line-up, starting this September are: TURKISH TREASURES GALLERY TRAIL: From 11th century till the early 20th century, Turkey was the cradle of a rich variety of Islamic Art. This tour includes many significant works of Turkish art from this era. THE HUNT PRINCELY PURSUITS IN ISLAMIC LANDS: Renowned Qatari and Turkish museums have contributed works for this exhibition, which depict `hunting' in all forms of Islamic art, be it lavishly illustrated Shahnameh manuscripts, inlaid metalwork or colourful mina'i ceramics. ARTISTIC JOURNEYS: This is a visual interpretation of `2015 QatarTurkey Year of Culture'. Four photographers documented their journeys as moments captured in time, engaging in an inspiring exchange of artistic discovery and cultural dialogue between the two nations. A MAGNIFICENT CENTURY INDEED: This exhibition brings the costumes, sets and ambience of the historical soap opera `The Magnificent Century' based on the life of the Ottoman Sultan Suleiman to Doha. 300 million people across 54 countries have watched it. It relives the stories behind the life of the Turkish conqueror and his love for the beautiful Hurrem Sultan. INTOLERANCE BY LUC TUYMANS: Belgian artist, Luc Tuymans, is recognised as one of the world's most important living painters. Intolerance is a comprehensive survey of the artist's work and will include a series of wall paintings and also a new body of work, `The Arena', created specifically for the show. Qatar's status as an art and cultural hub has grown by leaps and bounds in the past few years, thanks to the vision of Her Excellency Sheikha Al Mayassa bint Hamad bin Khalifa Al-Thani, the chairperson of Qatar Museums Authority . Good news is that even if you are in Qatar even for a brief time, do take advantage of this amazing art bonanza. http:www.qatartourism.gov.qa