PHOTOS snapped during an afternoon wander in Souq Waqif – Doha’s main trading place established more than a century ago – which was quiet with traders enjoying a respite from the heat of the day before business began again in the cool of the evening.

The market grew near the banks of a dry riverbed, with Bedouins and locals originally gathering to trade everything from fabric and spices to livestock and gems, while today it’s a spot for residents of this Gulf country to buy basic provisions and tourists to pick up souvenirs.

The Souq was extensively renovated in 2006 with modern structures added to the complex after the 1950s demolished and replaced with buildings that suited the original architectural design.