Souq Waqif Falcon Hospital — Attraction in Doha

Occupying an entire block just next to the large Souk Wafiq, this collection of small shops all setup pretty much the same, is worth a short visit ... there's probably 40 odd shops in the block and some spill over ones in the surrounds...you can walk around the block and see into the shops through the windows...it was June and about half the shops were empty, still plenty to see... all are pretty much the same so we just picked one at random to go into.... most have a large sandpit occupying the centre of the shop with wood stumps evenly space upon which the falcons are perched... there are a wide variety of falcons in terms of size and colours (and presumably hunting ability).... the shopowners are pretty cool about visitors and explain falconry and it's importance to Qatari culture... the owners let us hold a falcon using forearm guards for photos... pretty nice of them... was free as long as you showed genuine interest in learning about the practice... possibly not a great place in you are an avid animal lover BUT the birds do look well cared for.. maybe naive? .. the rest of the shop usually has all manner of falconry accessories and leatherworks, which is interesting as well... only requires less than an hour...

Waqif Falcon Market is located on the western side of Souq Waqif. It is a destination for hunters and falcon enthusiasts. It includes a large number of shops selling falcons and their tools, as well as a number of shops specialized in selling marine fishing tools. In the market there is a falcon hospital that includes many modern medical devices to treat falcons. The market also includes a falconry council in which everyone interested in hunting meets, and an annual auction is held in the Waqif Falconry Market to sell falcons, and there are also conditions for selling falcons that must be followed between the seller And the buyer, the buyer examines the bird before buying it to ensure that it is free from diseases and injuries, such as breakage or Pneumonia or liver enlargement, as for simple diseases such as worms and their types, they do not affect the sale process...

The Falcon Souq, which is close to the Souq Waqif, is an interesting look into the sport of falconry, with a dozen or so shops that sell the birds and related paraphernalia, such as hoods, stands, gloves, leashes, and the like. The falcons can sell for $600 to as much as $100,000, depending upon the skill of a particular bird. There's even a falcon hospital on the grounds of the souq.

Falcons are generally kept hooded to keep them calm until their handlers wish to put them into "hunting mode." It was fascinating and a bit unnerving to be so close to these raptors.

Note that there is a "bird market" within the Souq Waqif. That market is NOT the falcon market, but specializes in other sort of birds as pets, e.g., parrots, pigeons, parakeets, and the like. The falcon market is nearby, so just ask one of the shopkeepers how to get to the...