Souq waqif and Museum of islamic arts Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1500 words

Souq waqif and Museum of islamic arts - Essay Example The museum of Islamic art is also another such building in Doha that employs traditional architecture, drawing its design from the Mosque of Ahmad ibn Tulun in Cairo. Traditional architecture is recognised today as a fortress of the past. With increased touristic activities, in Doha, Souq Waqif and the Museum of Islamic Art among other buildings serve as tourist destinations because of their artistic structural designs (Brebbia 301). The traditional architectural designs in the Arab world signify their suitability in the local environment that has incorporated the idea of sustainability. The increasing contemporary architectural designs are blending with the traditional designs to reflect the Qataris Islamic identity. Many of the buildings in Qatari are shifting to the traditional architectural patterns and styles that combine both traditionism and modernism. The new buildings are reproducing Qatari’s traditional architectural elements and styles, such as the museum of Islamic art, and old ones such as Souq Waqif that are rebranding to have that traditional outlook. The museum sits on an area of approximately 64 acres of an artificial island in the Doha cornice and a walking distance from the famous Souq Waqif. It was constructed in 2008 and opened its doors to the public in the same year. The island was created at the request of Mr. Pei, who was tasked to come up with the architectural design, whose main aim was to make the building stand out such that future buildings would never encroach it (Boussaa 62). The idea of the museum of Islamic art came after a series of tours around the globe studying Islamic architecture. Mr. Pei visited many places from the grand mosque in Cordoba Spain and the great mosque of Damascus where he found that climate and culture are very vital in interpreting Islamic architecture, although none of those