Hatem Alismail, Carla Salman-Martinez and Chuck Thorpe at the launch of website showcasing the heritage of Qatar. (SHAIVAL DALAL)

DOHA • The Carnegie Mellon University (CMU) in Qatar has launched a website dedicated to the heritage and culture of Qatar.

The website, the first of its kind in Qatar, features detailed descriptions as well as photographs of 21 different cultural heritage sites including museums, forts, mosques, archaeological areas, traditional houses and souqs. The site is addressed www.heritageofqatar.org

"This website compiles all the information you need to visit various sites and attractions: their history, exact location and hours of operation. And the content is provided in a printable format so you can easily take it with you on your visit," said Carla Salman Martinez, project manager, speaking at a press conference yesterday held to announce the official launch of the website.

The website also features an interactive model of a traditional Qatari mosque as well as itineraries catering to three different audiences: visitors, families and those with an adventurous spirit.

Detailed maps and driving directions from Doha are included to each location and GPS users will be pleased to find global positioning coordinates listed. Another feature of the site is a complete and detailed history of Qatar, which is not found on any other internet site.

The creation of the website is the first project to involve students from Carnegie Mellon Qatar, graphic designers from Virginia Commonwealth University and Qatari officials.

The site was developed by Hatem Alismail, freshman computer science student at Carnegie Mellon, while Eman Yousif and Fatima Al Kuwair, both graphic design students at VCU, completed the design work. Guido Licciadi, expert on cultural heritage preservation was also instrumental in the successful implementation of the project.

The project was made possible with the support of the Qatar Museums Authority, Qatar National Museum, the Emiri Diwan's private engineering office and the Sheikh Faisal bin Qassim Al Thani Museum, noted Carla Salman.

"We are thrilled that our first collaboration with Qatar is one that beautifully showcases the culture, heritage and the people of a country that has so graciously welcomed us. This website shows the deep and vibrant history of Qatar and Carnegie Mellon looks forward to many more ways in which we can work together with community officials and become part of Qatar's future," said Dr Charles E Thorpe, dean Carnegie Mellon Qatar.