00:00My work is inspired by capturing the essence of empowered femininity, confidence, and the strength that's inherent, basically within every woman.
00:12The reaction for a lot of people is that when you tell them that this is the mosque, it's like, wow, it's just too futuristic looking for it to be a mosque.
00:21Hello, welcome to Qatar 365 with me, Abil Halim.
00:25On this episode, we look back at some of our favorite moments from 2024, including the time we explored some architectural wonders, putting a contemporary spin on traditional places of worship.
00:35And we sat front row to find out why sports like mixed martial arts and paddle are taking the region by storm.
00:42But first, we explored some of the best visual arts in the country from the Qatar International Arts Festival to a very unique exhibition right here at the Museum of Islamic Art.
00:52This exhibition includes four golden textiles crafted from spider silk.
00:58Yes, you heard that right. Silk from golden orb weaver spiders, indigenous to Madagascar, and famous for the color of their webs.
01:06One of the things about it is it produces this wonderful gold thread.
01:10Just the fact that where you know it comes from is already a sort of magical thing because it's hard to associate the web of a spider with actually, which is such an ephemeral thing which can blow away in the wind.
01:22And then imagine that as something permanent.
01:25Interest in spider silk goes back centuries, but these pieces are the only examples of golden spider silk in the world.
01:32And a lot of silk was needed for the highlight of the exhibit.
01:36This gold cape is from the silk of 1.2 million golden spiders, which took more than two years to produce and over 6,000 hours of embroidery.
01:46I think you have to be incredibly passionate and maybe a little crazy to commit yourself to a project like this.
01:52It takes time, energy, resources.
01:55You're surrounded by spiders in Madagascar, but they can't be harvested the way that other industries are harvested, right?
02:01So you have to actually go into the wild, catch them, go through the process of removing the spider silk and then releasing them back into nature.
02:11The museum's director says the exhibition embraces sustainability by highlighting the use of eco-friendly vegan silk in the final exhibit pieces.
02:20They are so unique and beautiful.
02:22For me, it's the first time I see such textiles that are not dyed shiny and gold from nature.
02:30We hope the visitors will enjoy the exhibition and find it inspiring.
02:35Now, from golden spider silk to a more traditional and accessible form of art.
02:41Qatar Foundation's Artful Minds exhibition was specifically curated to raise awareness around mental health.
02:47Laila found out how art can be a therapeutic form of expression.
02:51Vibrant, colourful and feminine.
02:55That's how Sally Khoury, or better known as Sally K, would describe her style.
03:00My work is inspired by capturing the essence of empowered femininity, confidence and the strength that's inherent basically within every woman.
03:11While Sally uses flowers to light up an empty wall, Carmela's artwork is a vivid contrast of colours with equally powerful messaging.
03:20Like her piece on display, she calls optimistic.
03:24Optimistic is basically the darkness that we face when we are facing negativity and tribulations in our life.
03:32If we choose to find the positive in life and things, we can see that there's optimism all around us.
03:39Whether you paint as a pastime or a passion, the use of colour in art is not only stimulating for the mind.
03:46It also helps regulate moods and is known to calm anxiety.
03:50Artists themselves are increasingly mindful of the art they create and more are using chromotherapy to make conscious, impactful masterpieces.
04:01Hala Al-Jafari is one of 30 artists who displayed her work at Qatar Foundation's Artful Minds exhibition at the Multaka Gallery in Education City.
04:12I used a little bit of blue as a sign for bad mood or depression and for the people who struggle with mental health issues to know that they are not alone.
04:30When you think of a mosque, you probably have an idea of what you're going to see.
04:34There are over 2,000 mosques in Qatar that are integral to the landscape.
04:38I got a chance to discover some that are unique in structure like this one in Education City and are putting a contemporary spin on traditional places of worship.
04:48From the National Library to the National Museum and the Museum of Islamic Art, there's no shortage of jaw-dropping designs across Qatar.
04:57And that idea of pushing architectural boundaries continues with the country's places of worship.
05:03The Education City Mosque is unlike any other.
05:06This is literally a beautiful site in that it's a curved glass, so you can see there are laser cutouts of steel individually hanging on steel cables to be able to kind of fit this curved space.
05:20The reaction for a lot of people is that when you tell them that this is the mosque, it's like, wow, it's just too futuristic looking for it to be a mosque.
05:27And I think that's part of the appeal is that it challenges people's notions of what an archetype of a mosque looks like, especially for this region.
05:34Now there are more than 2,000 mosques across Qatar, but none quite like this one in Al-Shahania.
05:40The distinctive leaning mosque and minaret was designed by Sheikh Faisal bin Qasim Al-Thani, who wanted this mosque to stand out from any other in the world by blending modern design with rich Qatari tradition.
05:51I thought there would be a lot of criticism, but on the contrary, it's more positive.
06:01And the visitors who come to see it and take care of it.
06:07Resembling the iconic Leaning Tower of Pisa, the Leaning Minaret is 27 meters in height with a 20 degree incline.
06:14The mosque is built by stone sourced from the immediate area and is decorated with stained glass windows.
06:34From bringing people together in unique places of worship to breathing new life into old structures.
06:39Laila went to the Doha Fire Station where she found out how the home of Qatar's first civil authority has been repurposed into a haven for artists and creatives alike.
06:49From the house of everyday heroes to a haven for artists all around the world.
06:54This is Doha Fire Station.
06:57Built in 1982, it was once the home of Qatar's first civil defense authority.
07:03Today, the fire station is a contemporary art space for self-expression.
07:08An avenue for exchanging diverse ideas and a meeting ground for the creative community.
07:14The vibe here we are creating through the indoor exhibitions, outdoor exhibitions, murals around the building.
07:21It's really putting you in a space where there's a lot of inspiration, a lot of beautiful vibe you have here.
07:29While many areas of the fire station have been refurbished into new workspaces,
07:33there are some original elements purposely kept as a reminder of the building's identity.
07:40Like this drill tower which once served as a facility for routine exercises and training.
07:49For the Doha Fire Station, its legacy is quite literally cemented in its walls.
07:55A celebration of an honorable purpose in its past life reborn to nurture the next generation of talented individuals, all heroes in their own right.
08:07Earlier this year, the world's largest martial arts organization won championship,
08:12cemented its place in the region and made its historic debut in Qatar.
08:17I got a chance to go ringside and check out the action.
08:25These fans are lining up to catch a glimpse of their sporting heroes.
08:30Already hugely popular in Asia, one championship is expanding into the Middle East market.
08:36The ten bout card in Qatar saw three world title rematches
08:41and featured Middle Eastern and international fighters competing in a mix of Muay Thai,
08:46boxing, submission grappling and mixed martial arts.
08:50Ahead of match day, the fighters put on a show for fans in a picturesque backdrop at the beach,
08:56showcasing some of their skills inside the ring.
09:00This is just the second time one has been in the region.
09:04But a lot has changed since that maiden 2014 event in Dubai.
09:08First of all, Amir Ali Akbari has become a huge social media star with nearly 3 million followers on Instagram.
09:14The Iranian heavyweight can't wait for the opening bell.
09:44This fight is the best. Athletes, you know.
09:47What a knockout debut for one FC in Qatar, where the hype over mixed martial arts is gaining traction.
09:53Another sport that's taken the country by storm is paddle,
09:56which looks like a mix between squash and tennis, but is a different ball game in its own way.
10:01Laila looked at how Qatar is giving the sport a major boost.
10:05Muhammad Al-Hanji is one of Qatar's top paddle athletes.
10:09While tennis was his first love, he made the switch to paddle five years ago
10:14and hasn't looked back since.
10:16I've played tennis for 20 years and paddle came up recently and I started playing it.
10:25The Uridu Qatar tournament is the first major stop in Premier Paddle's 2024 season
10:31under a new unified global professional ecosystem.
10:3525 tournaments spanning 18 countries and 5 continents will culminate with the finals in Barcelona.
10:41Here in Qatar, the craze over paddle is being fueled by more new facilities to cater to the growing demand.
10:49Whether it's for competitive play or for fun, Qatar Foundation recently opened two new paddle courts in Education City.
10:58It's so important to give good quality, to make the people feel at home,
11:03to make the people feel comfortable when they come and play.
11:06And this is what we are trying to do.
11:08And while paddle is already giving legacy record sports like tennis a run for its money,
11:15there's still a bit more of catching up to do.
11:18But if paddle's meteoric rise in Qatar is any indication for the growth the sport is expected to see,
11:25the industry is headed for an all-round smashing good time.
11:29From visiting Qatar's vibrant arts and culture scene to exploring contemporary twists on traditional places of worship
11:35and discovering why sports like MMA and paddle are rapidly gaining popularity,
11:40we hope you enjoyed reminiscing with us on this episode.
11:43But that's all the time we have for now.
11:45For more, check out euronews.com and connect with us through a hashtag.
11:48Thanks for watching and we'll see you next time on Qatar 365.
11:58Qatar 365
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