Visit the Qatar Faculty for Islamic Studies (QFIS) to see some of Qatar's most iconic architecture. The dazzling white complex covered in gold Arabic calligraphy was a winner in the 2015 World Architecture Festival competition. The British firm Mangera Yvars Architects created this innovative center.
Part of the Qatar Foundation, the award-winning building includes a research center, teaching areas and an astonishing mosque. Look for two minarets nearly 300 feet (90 meters) tall inclining toward Mecca. The steel and concrete building is more than 380,000 square feet (35,000 square meters) in area.
The site is based on the Islamic Kulliyya, a place of education and prayer. Note that the classrooms, auditorium and library are connected to the mosque, reflecting the important link between knowledge and light or spirituality. The whole complex is supported by five columns, representing the five pillars of Islam.
Tour the light-filled Education City Mosque, whose ceiling is covered in calligraphy and glittering lights giving the appearance of stars. The first-floor courtyard offers views of the incredible minarets, which are also covered in giant Arabic script. Gaze at the ablution staircase where water and light cascade toward the bottom.
The mosque can hold 1,800 worshippers inside and another 1,000 in the courtyard. It serves not just students, but the entire Al Rayyan community.
Explore the gardens surrounding the building. They are filled with plants mentioned in the Quran and olive trees signifying peace. From the gardens, streams run under the building, representing the four rivers of water, milk, wine and honey.
The Qatar Faculty for Islamic Studies is open to the public and free to visit. It is located in Education City, an area of university campuses and other educational facilities about a 25-minute drive from the center of Doha. To get here, travel by bus from the Al Ghanim station or the green metro line.
If you are going to enter the mosque, make sure to wear a long-sleeved top, long pants or a long skirt and have an appropriate head covering. During your Education City visit, stop at the Qatar National Library, another architectural gem.
