tuque /tūk/ n Canadian English, var. toque [19th c. Canadian French, from the French toque, from the Basque tauka] 1 A close-fitting knitted cap, often with a long tapering end or tassel or pompom. 2 fig Something quintessentially Canadian.
souq /sūk/ n from the Arabic سوق var. souk 1 An open-air marketplace. 2 fig A central meeting place for the circulation of news and ideas.

Wednesday, December 10, 2008

New museum of Islamic Art opens in Qatar

Qatar's new museum of Islamic Art is a treasure of treasures.

The $300-million project, designed by I.M. Pei (he of the Louvre's pyramid), was built on a man-made island off of Doha's busy commercial harbour.

What a great idea for a giant blocky monstrosity of modern architecture: put it out on the water, just like Sydney did with the Opera House, and what Toronto didn't do with the ROM.

[Click here for an audio-photo tour of the Doha museum.]

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