Qatar Offers World Cup Visitors Introduction to Islam

Hundreds of thousands of visitors came to Qatar during the World Cup. Those who do not venture far from Doha's glitzy stadiums and hotels will have only limited exposure to the country's religion.

However, visitors who are curious to learn more about Islam and the Qatari authorities and religious officials are eager to help.

Local mosques are offering multilingual tours for visitors, and the Islamic Cultural Center in Doha offers a virtual reality tour of the holy city of Mecca.

Booths at tourist sites offer free copies of the Holy Qur'an and brochures on Islam available in hotel lobbies. Billboards have been set up all over Doha featuring the US.

Olympic fencer Ibtihaj Muhammad and other Muslim figures as part of a campaign to encourage people to explore Islam.

Qatari officials say they hope the tournament will help provide visitors with a better understanding of their culture and that of the larger region.

Doha's Museum of Islamic Art also provides glimpses into religious beliefs and rituals. 

Visitors can read about the Five Pillars of Islam - the profession of faith, prayer, almsgiving, fasting, and hajj or pilgrimage - or learn about the various pilgrimage rituals and funerary practices in the Islamic world.