Qatar

Affluent to a degree that belies its tiny size, the State of Qatar—possessed of immense oil and natural-gas resources—enjoys heavy influence on the Arabian Peninsula and beyond. It’s also an extravaganza of a country for the curious traveler, with a booming capital city and some ethereal scenery.

Doha—a definite showstopper—dominates any visit to Qatar. Many of its grandest projects are still in progress, including the manmade island of the Pearl and the titanic skyscrapers of the Dubai Towers-Doha. The city, however, strives for more than mere architectural novelty. The outstanding, I.M. Pei-designed Museum of Islamic Art, for one thing, offers a storehouse of treasures from across the Muslim world. And though it’s far from the most “authentic” market in the Arab world, Souq Waqif serves up an engaging panoply of Qatari crafts and spices alongside eateries and coffee-houses. In a similar vein, the Doha Heritage Village offers an expose of traditional culture and acts as a major social hub. Between the souqs and the restaurants, Doha also nourishes quite the dining scene: featuring not just Middle Eastern food, but—reflective of the significant Indian, Nepali, Bangladeshi, and other expat populations here—plenty of South Asian cuisine as well. And the city’s bayfront promenade, the Doha Corniche, serves as one of its handsomest thoroughfares.

Venture farther afield, and you’ll find a fair share of archaeological and scenic attractions in Qatar’s outlying communities and desert spaces. The Khor al-Adaid, or “Inland Sea,” is a visually striking, ecologically precious saltwater lagoon in the country’s far southeast, edged by salt hummocks and mobile dunes. To the northwest of Doha, meanwhile, Al Zubarah, a former pearling hub now classed as a UNESCO World Heritage Site, includes old fortifications and other ruins dating from the 19th and early 20th century.

Qatar’s a conservative Islamic country, mind you, so abide by the dress code and be aware of the strictures of Sharia law. But for anyone curious about the Arab world, this Persian Gulf state reveals it in fascinating flux.