Souq Al Wakrah opened in 2016 and was built on the ruins of the old city of Al Wakrah, which is estimated to be more than 200 years old. The two dates refer to different things: 2016 is the year the Souq opened; the estimate of more than 200 years applies to the former city. This distinction puts the site's historical connection into context without suggesting that the Souq itself is more than 200 years old.
Cultural experiences by Embrace Doha
Embrace Doha is based at Souq Al Wakrah and offers several cultural experiences, each with a different approach. A cultural session focuses on clothing and forms of greeting; other activities explore bakhoor, Sadu, leatherwork and Qahwa. The range spans everything from learning about traditional practices to making your own fragrance or item. What you do and learn specifically varies from one experience to another.
During an Embrace Doha cultural session, guests try on traditional clothing and practise local forms of greeting to learn about Qatari culture. The experience combines hands-on activities with an understanding of social traditions: guests try on clothing and practise greetings. If you would like to explore culture not only through its historical connections but also through clothing and ways of meeting people, this session offers a clearly defined way to do so.
In Embrace Doha’s bakhoor blending workshop, guests create their own fragrance. They also learn more about the traditional production, origins and use of bakhoor in the region. The experience combines hands-on creativity with background knowledge: it is about both blending your own fragrance and learning about bakhoor in its regional and traditional context.
In the Sadu weaving workshop, guests learn about the tradition and make a small Sadu weaving. The experience focuses on both cultural background and hands-on textile work. If you are interested in making a textile, this differs from fragrance blending and the leather workshop in its materials, end product and Sadu tradition.
In Embrace Doha’s leather workshop, guests make their own leather item from leather scraps and offcuts. Compared with the Sadu experience, the workshops differ in their materials, end products and traditions: this one involves working with leftover leather, while the other involves making a small Sadu weaving and learning about the Sadu tradition. If you are choosing between the two crafts, that is the practical difference; both involve making something yourself.
Embrace Doha’s traditional coffee ceremony focuses on Qahwa, spiced Arabic coffee. Guests learn more about its history and traditions. Unlike experiences in which an item or fragrance is made, this ceremony offers cultural background through a drink. If you are interested in food and drink culture, this focus complements the craft workshops with a different topic.
The experiences therefore differ both in what you do and in their subject matter: learn about forms of greeting, blend a fragrance, try textile or leatherwork, or learn more about Qahwa. If you would like to include a specific experience in your travel plans, check with the provider for current booking availability.
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