Al Najada () is a

Qatari Qatar, officially the State of Qatar, is a country in West Asia. It occupies the Qatar Peninsula on the northeastern coast of the Arabian Peninsula in the Middle East; it shares its sole land border with Saudi Arabia to the south, with the ...

district in the

municipality A municipality is usually a single administrative division having municipal corporation, corporate status and powers of self-government or jurisdiction as granted by national and regional laws to which it is subordinate. The term ''municipality' ...

Doha Doha ( ) is the capital city and main financial hub of Qatar. Located on the Persian Gulf coast in the east of the country, north of Al Wakrah and south of Al Khor (city), Al Khor and Lusail, it is home to most of the country's population. It ...

. It is one of the oldest districts of Doha. Doha's rapid urbanization during the 1970s after it gained independence resulted in the gradual decline of Al Najada. Several of its historical buildings have been demolished. The Qatar Museums Authority has taken steps to preserve the cultural and architectural heritage of the district with its 'Al Turath al Hai' ('living heritage') initiative. Most significant structures dating back to the early 20th century that still exist have been documented by the Origins of Doha Project. Some of the contemporary buildings dating to the late 20th century were intentionally designed with traditional elements of Qatari architecture in the interests of preserving the district's identity.

Etymology

The name ''Al Najada'' is thought to be derived from the term describing the people of the

Najd Najd is a Historical region, historical region of the Arabian Peninsula that includes most of the central region of Saudi Arabia. It is roughly bounded by the Hejaz region to the west, the Nafud desert in Al-Jawf Province, al-Jawf to the north, ...

, the place of origin of its original residents.

Geography

Al Najada borders the following districts: * Barahat Al Jufairi to the south, separated by Barahat Al Jufairi Street. * Old Al Ghanim to the east, separated by Grand Hamad Street. *

Al Jasrah Al Jasrah () is a district in Qatar, located in the municipality of Ad Dawhah. It hosts Souq Waqif, one of the largest souqs in Qatar. Other points of interest in the district include Souq Jaidah, the Souq Waqif Falcon Hospital, the Souq Waqif ...

to the north, separated by Ali Bin Abdullah Street. *

Mushayrib Mushayrib (; also spelled Musheireb) is a Qatari district located in the municipality of Ad Dawhah. As of the 2010 census, the former district of Al Asmakh has been integrated into Mushayrib. It is one of the oldest districts of Doha, and contain ...

to the west.

Landmarks

Najada Souq

Najada Souq, also known as the Mobile Phone Souq, was closed in 2012. It was announced in 2017 that the souq would re-open. A gold market containing 50 shops was inaugurated in the refurbished Najada Souq in July 2018. The new souq has an underground parking lot with 250 spaces.

Sikkat Al Ihsan

Sikkat Al Ihsan is a tapered street that connects Al Maymoun Street and Barahat Al Jufairi Street. Most of the residential units on this street are old, likely dating to the early 20th century, and provide good examples of vernacular architecture in Doha. Because of its long and mostly-undisturbed history, Sikkat Al Ihsan is considered a significant historic site of interest.

Windtower house

Windtowers are structures built to direct airflow in buildings. In the past, they were a common occurrence in Qatar, however, the rapid modernization of Doha has seen all other windtowers in the city demolished, leaving Al Najada's windtower as the last surviving one in Qatar's capital. Situated inside the Najada Souq complex, the house once served as an ethnographic museum but has since been closed to the public.

References

Communities in Doha {{Qatar-geo-stub