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Doha

Capital of QatarDoha lies on the Persian Gulf coast in the east of Qatar, a small country that covers a peninsula with Saudi Arabia to its south. Al Wakrah is south of the city, and Lusail is to the north.

Why it's the capital

Doha was founded in the 1820s near the older settlement of Al Bidda. In 1971, when Qatar stopped being a British protectorate and became independent, Doha was officially declared the capital.

Fun facts

  1. The name Doha comes from the Arabic word dohat, meaning 'roundness', after the rounded bays along this part of the coast.
  2. The Museum of Islamic Art, designed by the architect I. M. Pei, opened in 2008 on an artificial peninsula; a fountain in a 9th-century mosque in Cairo inspired its design.
  3. Doha hosted the 2006 Asian Games, a large sports event for athletes from across Asia.

Finding it on the globe

Find Qatar, the small peninsula pointing north into the Persian Gulf from Saudi Arabia. Doha is on its east coast, about halfway up.

Sources: Wikipedia: Doha, Wikipedia: Museum of Islamic Art, Doha, Wikipedia: Qatar