Doha
The capital of Qatar on the Gulf coast; its name derives from dawḥa, a wide rounded bay.
- Country
- Qatar
- Region
- Eastern coast of the Qatar peninsula
- Known for
- Capital and principal port of Qatar
Overview
Doha is the capital of Qatar, on a broad bay of the peninsula's eastern coast. The name derives from dawḥa, used in the Gulf for a wide, rounded inlet of the sea.
History
The town grew in the thirteenth century AH (nineteenth century CE) from fishing and pearling settlements along the bay — al-Bidaʿ among them — into the peninsula's principal port and seat of government.
Sources
- ياقوت الحموي، معجم البلدان، 626هـ — للسياق التاريخي لإقليم البحرين وقطر؛ يُوسَّع من التاريخ المحلي
Last reviewed: 2026-07-14