Sharjah24 - AFP: Every day in Doha's Souq Waqif market, where vendors anxiously anticipate World Cup fans, boxes of wooden camels, plates with images of Qatar's buildings, gold necklaces, football hats, and scarves arrive.
One million football fans are anticipated for the tournament, which begins on November 20, and they will be drawn to the winding lanes of the century-old market.
Abdul Rahman Mohammed Al-Nama, the manager of the souq stables that arrange camel and pony rides, predicted that there would be enormous crowds and that nothing like this had ever occurred. Insha'Allah, we are prepared, God willing.
Crowds are already expanding as World Cup excitement grows.
Around Nama's camel enclosure and the hundreds of tiny shops selling incense, spices, carpets, gold, and even falcons and other birds and animals, fan zones with temporary shops and attractions are being built. According to press sources, during the World Cup, businesses may operate around-the-clock.
Early in the 20th century, when Souq Waqif first opened, vendors stood at the door yelling for people to buy their wares. Its name is an acronym for "Standing Market."
It was largely reconstructed with arched pedestrian pathways as part of a bid to revitalize central Doha after being completely destroyed by a severe fire in 2003.
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