Film City is one of the unique places you may go to get away from the crowds. Although Qatar is becoming a popular tourist destination, there are still a lot of unusual and uncharted areas to be visited. These, nevertheless, are the attractions cherished by the incredible beauty of time and art despite being unaffected by human influence.
The Film City is one of those places you would want to visit while on vacation, passing via the uncontrolled roads and contained among the deserts. It is a little Arabian community known for its distinctive style of construction.
About Film City
The geology of the Zekreet peninsula’s scenery is distinctive and intriguing. Salt flats, plateau rocks, and open deserts dominate this landscape. Instead of dunes, this location has peculiar rock formations and stunning views of the gulf’s azure seas.
You will drive up a rise shortly before arriving in film city and be able to see the structures in the distance. Although the walled city is around the size of a town, it has a main entrance and front-facing city walls with guard towers.
The Reason of building Film City
The explanation for why the city was built may be found in the “Arabic TV series” “Eyaal Al Theeb.” The Film City was built for this television show that tells the tale of the town’s residents known as Film City.
The primary plot of the series is a conflict with a nearby tribe named Eyaal Al Ghadab, which most people still regard as a mysterious community. The village’s primary draw is a cottage perched atop a rock pillar in the shape of a mushroom. The idea of hosting the 2022 World Cup was the second justification for its construction.
Architecture and Culture of Film City
Visitors to Film City Zekreet will feel like they are watching an old Western movie or reading a Western novel. Even though there were beautiful mosques and minarets to behold, in addition to coconut palms, people frequently felt lonely and uneasy when traveling around the city.
There is some historic Arabic architecture in the movie city. Even though no one resides there, visitors may still taste Qatari culture. The congested streets of film city are home to a trap. You must figure out this riddle if you wish to escape the trap.
Some significant features about Film City
One of the fascinating things about the Zekreet peninsula is its distinctive geology, including open deserts, plateau rocks, and salt flats. It lacks dunes because it is a guest town, but it does boast an odd rock structure and the most incredible view of the gulf’s azure seas.
The entrance and city walls with the guard towers on the front are one of the primary sights to visit. Driving up the slope as one approaches Film City, one will notice several structures in the distance.
What can you find inside the Film City?
Eighty kilometers from Doha, on the RasAbrouq peninsula, you’ll find Film City. It is advised to bring a four-wheel-drive car; however, a fence block prevents entry from the main route. Strangely enough, a truck weigh station near the Garafat Al Rayyan, and Dukhan Highway provides entrance to the Camels Tunnel.
Visitors will cross the highway in the tunnel and then turn onto the arid road to the north. Film City is modeled after a miniature Arabic town with modest houses, a mosque, many gates and doors, and a lookout. The dwellings are classic mud-brick homes with wooden doors. Once you reach the film city, a caretaker lives close to the walled compound and is quite friendly to visitors.
How can you reach the Film City?
By traveling down, the Dukhan Highway, taking the D-Ring Road to Shamal, and turning left at the Al Rayyan junction (4-level junction), one may reach Film City from Doha. You can reach Dukhan Highway from here. After over 90 kilometers, turn right at the Zikreet route sign.
Traveling with someone who has been there before, at least twice or more, is beneficial. The journey may take one to two hours, depending on how many pictures stops you make. If visitors keep on the graded surfaces, a sedan-type automobile may pass the road and go to the film studio. After leaving the graded tracks, 4WD is advised.
Where is the Film City?
On the Zekreet peninsula, the movie city is concealed behind a hill and constructed in the Arabic architectural style. To get there, you must travel a somewhat unorthodox path. Between Dukhan Road and Doha City is where Film City is located. You may go a fair way on Dukhan Road before turning toward this peninsula after you reach the Zekreet sign.
There are lovely locations and landscapes along the route to the movie city Dukhan where you may stop by and snap photographs. The typical travel time is between an hour and two hours. It would be best to travel off-road on a gravel road to get to Film City, but it will be worthwhile. Ninety-eight kilometers separate this location from Hamad International Airport.
When is the best time for visiting Film City?
There are no time restrictions because the area sees only a few tourists. Go before late afternoon to ensure that the gates are open. It is advised to begin your return trip to Doha at least 1.5 hours before nightfall to avoid driving on the graded road in the dark. Summer visitors are welcome to visit film city since there are walls and some shade. If the front gate is closed, you can still enter via the left side.
Some tips good to know:
- Bring food, drink, and entertainment as the trip from the main road is lengthy.
- Remember to visit the Zekreet Fort Ruins and look at the camel caravan in the nearby towns.
- Be careful to have a guide with you; as just a few people visit the area, there are no onlookers to get advice from.
- One more warning: make sure the automobile has a full petrol tank.
Conclusion
In Qatar, The Film City is also called The Ghost Town, as all that is left are the ruins of a settlement. This was constructed as a set for an Arabian television show, and it was subsequently abandoned in Qatar and turned into a ghost town. This artificial city, explicitly created for filming, is now a tourist destination in Qatar.
