Children pose for photo with mascots at the Meerat Ramadan at Katara.
DOHA: Katara Cultural Village has been attracting huge crowds with diverse activities that make it the perfect venue to spend Ramadan nights.
Ramadan events at Katara represent a mix of culture, art, religion, sports, entertainment, shopping and feasting that are distinct with a Qatari traditional touch.
Firing of the traditional Ramadan cannon announces the time of Iftar at the Cultural Village every day, in the presence joyous crowds gathered to witness a historic tradition being revived. A man wearing traditional dress roams around the beaches and night markets at Katara, beating a drum to keep the crowds awake throughout night. He is called Misahir in the local language.
Ghabka in the car, the Ramadan drive-thru night market at Katara has become a big crowd puller, with about 40 stalls offering a wide range of takeaways, from coffee to burgers, sandwiches and pastries. A huge screen at the end of the market is adding colour to the festive mood.
Katara has announced a photography competition based on Ghabka which opened from yesterday and runs until June 6. The contestants are required to capture the best images from Ghabka and submit their entries by June 12. The contest is open to Qataris and expatriates. The first prize winner will get QR10,000 while the second and third prizes are worth QR7,000 and QR5,000, respectively.
Participants at the Ramadan Chess Championship which concluded on Saturday at Katara Building 15.
Meerat Ramadan, the Ramadan souq at Katara, offering diverse consumer products at affordable prices has also been attracting large number of people since its opening two weeks before Ramadan. The Katara Play Station Championship will be held at the venue from Ramadan 15 to 20, along with other games and entertainment activities for children and families.
Religious lectures by prominent scholars focusing on Ramadan and other related topics are taking place at the Katara mosque every day.
With the onset of the Holy month, Katara has started several religious competitions, most importantly the Katara Prize for Quran Recitation and the Quran memorisation contest for children. About 100 contestants from across the globe are competing for the top positions of the Katara Prize for Quran Recitation while 50 children, including girls, are participating in the Quran memorisation contest.
Preparations are underway at Katara to celebrate Garangao in a big way, with colourful activities for children and families on the 14th of Ramadan.
Coinciding with Ramadan, Katara has launched a rare initiative to give drinking water to pigeons and other birds during summer. For this purpose, Katara is distributing specially made wooden boxes to the public free of cost. There are many takers for the boxes which can be installed in open areas and terraces of buildings.
The Katara Beach Volleyball Championship is currently underway while the Ramadan Chess Championship concluded on Saturday.
A series of art and cultural workshops are also taking place as part of the Ramadan activities. A workshop on the Kufi script being used for writing the verses of the Holy Quran and another workshop on creative works began yesterday. The first one will continue until June 12 while the second one will conclude on June 6.
An exhibition of products made by Qatari households is now open at Building 19 and in front of building 15. It will run until June 2.
Source: The Peninsula
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