By Ayman Adly/Staff Reporter

The event, scheduled for Sunday and Monday, is being organised by the Qatar Heritage and Identity Centre (QHIC) under the patronage of Qatar Museums Authority (QMA) chairperson HE Sheikha al-Mayassa bint Hamad al-Thani, .

“All the writings about Qatar by foreign travellers during the past two centuries are to be released as a book upon the conclusion of the seminar,” QHIC general manager Dr Khalid Youssef al-Mulla said yesterday.

Local and international speakers are scheduled to speak at the seminar, which will be open for the public with simultaneous translations in Arabic, English and French.

The seminar will draw on British, French, Ottoman and Indian archives to reveal the writing of foreign explorers during the 19th century.

“The foreign explorers who came to Qatar and lived here gave detailed images through their writings on how life used to be in the country then,” Dr al-Mulla explained.

He described the writings of such travellers as valuable literature and daily registry of eyewitnesses, who recorded the political, economic and social transformations of the local society and gave a true to life picture of what happened.

Dr al-Mulla further stressed the importance of the seminar at this particular time, as Qatar is going to have its own massive national museum, and library through Qatar Foundation. It also helps new generation to enhance their sense of national identity and acquire more knowledge about their heritage and past.

“A key component of the seminar is the writings of the resident British diplomats and politicians in Qatar at that period, alongside the reports of the Turkish officers in the same period. This will be very interesting for the study of the history of the country and region,” he explained.

Besides the documentary book, which will be available online, Dr al-Mulla hoped that a theatrical operetta could be produced based on the materials compiled by the speakers. Around eight international delegates have been confirmed to attend the event. Besides, university students and professors have been invited, along with academics, and officials concerned.