Qatari History and Heritage

Qatari History and Heritage

This course aims to familiarize its audience with the evolution of life, culture, society, and politics in the Qatari peninsula from ancient to contemporary times. In this regard, it will focus on history, geography, archaeology, and culture. Its audience will gain an extensive understanding of the unique aspects of the evolution of social life in Qatar over centuries, as well as of Qatar’s interaction with the surrounding regions, such as the Gulf, the Arabian Peninsula, the Indian Ocean region, Africa, Persia, the wider Islamic and Arab worlds, and Europe. This course also provides an extensive insight into the traditional Qatari society, culture, religion, and economy during the pre-modern era of pearl diving and following the discovery of oil. Of particular focus here will be the intersection of geography and economy with regards to the making of traditional society and culture inside the Qatari desert heartland and within the coastal towns and villages

History forms the core aspect of this course. The major topics of discussion here will be on the Qatari peninsula during the pre-Islamic and early Islamic eras. In the later centuries, extensive attention is given to politics and society in Qatar as a major part of the Arabian coastal region, often referred to as Al-Bahrain (The Two Seas) and the region of Al-Ahsa from the 16th to the 19th century.