The General Manager of Katara, Dr Khalid bin Ibrahim Al Sulaiti.
DOHA: Katara, the Cultural Village, officially launched its first book entitled Pearl Diving in Qatar yesterday.
The book, written in Arabic with plans to launch in other languages, is a documentation of the history of pearl diving in Qatar and highlights the importance and relevance of pearl diving in the history and economy of Qatar.
It will be distributed to ministries and other government entities across the country and will also be available at Katara.
The book reinforces how integral pearling was to Qatar’s history and culture and the impact it had on shaping the community’s way of life as opposed to just being a source of livelihood. It also outlines the direct impact pearl diving had on the economic, social, political and cultural prosperity of the country.
“Documenting our heritage is a key objective at Katara to ensure we preserve our culture and pass on the legacy to future generations. The pearl diving era without a doubt is a significant milestone in Qatar’s heritage which contributes greatly to the current cultural development we are undergoing. This production took a lot of work and research and we are proud to be launching it today,” said Dr Khalid bin Ibrahim Al Sulaiti, General Manager of Katara.
The book consists of two main sections which include five chapters each.
The first section includes the documentation of research and studies conducted on pearl diving in Qatar, and displays Qatari scientific books in the field that were previously issued.
In addition, there is a chapter allocated to the features and studies written in Qatari publications in the past, as well as anecdotes and reports written by travellers and Arab writers. The second part begins with literature on pearl diving by Qatari writers and poets followed by a chapter dedicated to the biographies of famous men that were involved in the pearl diving era.
The book subsequently moves on to include interviews conducted in the past with pearl divers.
It concludes with a list of names of dhows and pearl divers and an appendix of the book which includes historical letters written in the pearl diving era, diving documents and plans.
The Peninsula
