UCL Qatar

UCL Qatar is to host a special public lecture and two-day workshop exploring Doha's historical urban heritage.

Taking place on 24 and 25 April, the workshop will bring together historians, archaeologists, architects, urban planners and heritage specialists to document Doha’s historical development, examine what remains of this living legacy and discuss the role “Old Doha” has to play in the future formation of the city.

Despite rapid development, remnants of Old Doha still survive in central areas, with much more buried as archaeological remains. These fragments of the past form part of Qatar’s cultural heritage and have influenced the work of architects and scholars involved in the design and planning of modern urban living.

To launch the workshop, Dr Robert Carter, Senior Lecturer in Arab Archaeology at UCL Qatar and Tim Makower, Makower Architects, will deliver a public lecture on 23 April at the Museum of Islamic Art, entitled “Doha: Past, Present and Future”. Dr Carter will explore the development of the urban landscape of Old Doha, from its origins in pearl fishing, adjustment with the arrival oil & gas, through to the present day. Tim Makower will demonstrate how Doha’s past is referenced strongly in contemporary Qatari architecture and has provided an inspiration for urban regeneration.

Dr Robert Carter said: “The UCL workshop will help identify the areas of greatest interest and greatest threat to the historic fabric and archaeology of Doha. Archaeological remains are finite and diminishing resources and research is urgently required to record, conserve and reinterpret this legacy, so that it may enrich the lives of future generations”.