Qur'anic Botanic Garden

The Qur’anic Botanic Garden (QBG) is a public educational garden that showcases plants mentioned in the Qur’an and the native flora of Qatar.¹ Its vision is “to become a global hub for plant resource knowledge, education, and research, promoting cultures’ communication, environmental responsibility, and integrating preservation efforts with modern scientific achievements.”²
Specifically, the QBG aims to promote knowledge about plants mentioned in the Qur’an and Sunnah, their associated botanic terms, and their care and preservation methods.³ It also seeks to raise awareness about environmental conservation and sustainable gardening practices.⁴ The QBG project aligns the vision and goals of the Qatar Foundation (QF),^{5 i} and the Qatar National Vision 2030.^{6 7 ii}

To implement this vision, a master plan for the garden was proposed, extending over 0.4 square kilometers⁸ in the Al-Rayyan district of Education City, in front of the Qatar Faculty of Islamic Studies.⁹ The garden features the historic Al Kauthar Houses,¹⁰ⁱⁱⁱ and nine key components¹¹ with 61 plant species,¹² along with two tram stations:

• Scent Garden: Offers a sensory experience with aromatic plants like Citron, Basil, Roses, Rosemary, Jasmine, and Plumeria.
• African Plants Garden: Displays national trees from African countries, including Moringa, Eucalyptus, and Neem.
• Desert Garden: Represents Qatar’s Rawdat ecosystem, featuring wild plants like Sidra, Senna, Camel’s Hay, Qarz, and Samara, enclosed by a protective belt structure called Hizam.
• Sidra Hill: A two-hill-shaped garden covered with perennial grass, Sidra trees and Arak shrubs.
• Botanical Museum: Showcases Arab and Islamic heritage through displays of heritage items, herbal samples, and traditional agricultural tools.
• Vine Garden: Covered with climbing plants like Bougainvillea and Grapes, providing shade.
• Water Garden: Designed like a bowl with emanating water fountains and waterfalls, surrounded by wetland plants such as Banana, Sweet Flag, and Ginger.
• Sound Garden: Features Japanese grass and trees like Eucalyptus and Acacia, with plants that produce rattling sounds.
• Play Bowl: A mushroom-shaped play area for children surrounded by Fig and Olive trees.
  The project also includes a herbarium, seed bank, published and computer-recorded plant catalogue, laboratories, and sponsorship programs.¹³

The project features three main programs focusing on conservation, research, and education as follows:

• The Conservation Program uses in-situ and ex-situ ^iv techniques to protect Qatar’s biodiversity and environment.¹⁴
• The Research Program includes national and international collaborations, fostering community engagement.¹⁵
• The Education program includes exhibitions, workshops, and fieldwork on plant conservation, horticulture, biotechnology, and medicinal properties.¹⁶

QBG is a global tourist attraction and a local destination for relaxation and learning.¹⁷ It integrates Islamic art and architecture, supporting academic studies and engaging the public in conservation and heritage. For instance, the garden hosts events and exhibitions to improve understanding of Islamic scriptures.^{18 19}

The project was initiated and developed by the Qatar Foundation,²⁰ previously proposed by UNESCO.²¹ The first seedling was planted on 17 September 2008 by Sheikha Moza bint Nasser.²² Meinhardt led the design in collaboration with Islamic theology scholars. Engineering teams with West 8 Landscape Architect and RHWL Architects created a compiled experience with strict technical standards for exhibition space and educational objectives.²³ QBG was inaugurated in 2020, with further ongoing construction.²⁴