Hotels near Education City and the Qatar National Library

Education City is a 12 square kilometre campus west of central Doha where eight international universities keep branch schools, and for a visitor it works as an open-air architecture park. Rem Koolhaas designed the Qatar National Library as a single folded plane, with around a million volumes stacked on white marble terraces visible from anywhere in the room and no walls dividing the sections. Sunk into the middle of the floor is the Heritage Library, a marble pit holding manuscripts, maps, globes and early Arabic printing from the 15th century onwards.

Entry is free and open to non-residents, and you can sit and work there all day. Elsewhere on campus, Arata Isozaki's Qatar Faculty of Islamic Studies, the Ceremonial Court and Oxygen Park are all walkable from the tram. The Education City Mosque welcomes non-Muslim visitors outside prayer times, with modest dress expected and headscarves available at the door. The 3-2-1 Qatar Olympic and Sports Museum sits a short ride away at Khalifa International Stadium if you want to make a half-day of it.

Pro Tip: The main library stays open until 20:00 on most days, but the Heritage Library pit shuts at 17:00 and is roped off afterwards. Go down the central stairs the moment you arrive, then browse the terraces at your own pace.