Welcome to the Views of Qatar website. The site is being put together as a chance for people to come and view photos of Qatar. Having researched Qatar on the web prior to moving here I found it hard to get a true impression of the country, it's people and the landscape. With this site I plan to create a photo journal of my time here in Qatar, and other countries in this region, so it will be a gradual process to gather and populate the website, so come back, email us if you have something to contribute to this site or if you are interested in finding out more information about this country.

Site for sale
If you are interested in purchasing this website or any of the domain names listed below feel free to contact me at stefencook@gmail.com.

• www.viewqatar.com
• www.viewsofqatar.com
• www.tourqatar.com 

20 Sept '04: I have returned from Qatar for work back in New Zealand. Having spent the last 6 months mostly based in Doha, I have felt the need to work in my preferred area of employment and I have started work back in Wellington, New Zealand. I will be leaving this site for people who are interested in information regarding Qatar, plus I still have plenty of photos and information about Qatar to get up on this site when I get some spare time. If anyone has any great ideas for this site or would like to contribute to it, then email me and share your ideas.

Cheers, Stefen

Photos from a recent trip to Africa have now been added to this site. Covering the Masai Mara in Kenya, the Serengeti National Park and Ngorongoro Crater in Tanzania, down through Malawi, Zanzibar, Zambia and Zimbabwe. At last count there are over 500 photos in this collection, out of a possible 3400 taken during the 4 weeks in Africa... so good luck to you if you manage to get through them all ;-) Also, hi to Ian, Rhino and the rest of the crew on our Wildlife Adventures tour.

Ancient Times

First signs of human habitation in the Qatar peninsula date from 4000BC. Archaeological expeditions from Denmark (1965), Britain (1973) and France (1976) found rock carvings and groups of pottery that indicate human presence at that time. Qatar also appears on ancient maps, a clear sign that travellers and explorers knew of the presence of civilised settlements there. Some historical texts claim that the first inhabitants of Qatar are the ancient Canaanites, a people known for their trade and navigation skills.

Qatar strategic location on the Arabian Gulf was the main reason for the seasonal migration of Arab tribes from the Arabian Peninsula and particularly from the Nejd desert. When the ancient Mediterranean flourished with many civilisations, the Arabian Gulf area, with its strategic location, found commercial prosperity. Many fishing centres like Al Bida, Al Khor, Al Wakra and Al Zubara appeared which encouraged pearl trading. The Gulf suffered from a commercial decline during the Roman era as trade concentrated in the Red Sea area. However, from the third century AD the Gulf area regained its important trading position.