DOHA, Qatar (AP) – At first glance, the Souq Waqif Clinic in the historic center of Doha, the capital of Qatar, could be like any other modern hospital.
Nurses wearing blue scrubs move quickly around the bright rooms, performing shifts. Radiology and operating rooms rotate monitors with signals and flash. Specialists turn a blind eye to X-rays and masked doctors make wounds using all the high-tech tools of modern surgery.
There is only one thing: the rooms are full of balconies.
In the small and affluent emirate of Qatar, desert birds are among the most valued people in the country.
Long revered in the Arabian Peninsula for their cruelty and hunting prowess, hawks now commemorate the Bedouin past as a symbol of sheikh status. The connection between falcons and their falcons has been a source of inspiration since the Paleolithic, when images of the creatures first appeared on the cave walls.
Although no more fashionable today than in the past, hawk art is still passed down from generation to generation in Qatar and the oil -rich Persian Gulf. Due to the growing demand in recent years, clubs have emerged that teach sport in the region. The Hawks compete in a growing number of beauty contests and contests.
The best hawks earn at least a few thousand dollars and the Qatari cost nothing to keep themselves healthy.
“The construction of the hospital should support the recreation and education of the Falcons … It is a hobby passed down from generation to generation,” Ikdam al-Karkhi, director of Souq Waqif Hospital told the Associated Press recently. “Maintaining their life and well -being is an important duty”.
Public hospitals such as Souq Waqif offer expert care for sick and injured hawks, about 30,000 per year. The marble reception area is full of patrons and owners bringing birds for checkups, doctor visits, feather changes, orthopedic surgeries-and something more like a peanut-pedis .
Preparing hawk claws is a very serious matter, as birds raised in luxurious Doha homes or captive skyscrapers filled with wild deserts cannot easily find sharp surfaces on which to finish bouquets. .
Hawk hunting may have long been worshiped, but it is also an amazing job. The angular predator sometimes fights, grabbing the attacking hawk by its claws and flapping its wings. Each hawk’s feather is essential to its flight, requiring careful feather replacement after the fight.
Doctors will find one from the edge of the trimmed feather that perfectly matches the different cut birds: plums of the same pattern, length and color.
“If this damaged plumage remains, it can lead to loss or reduction in the fitness of the bird,” al-Karkhi said. “They need to be treated.”
Hospital surgeons are also treating other hunting victims. The tip and tail of the hawks were touched by all the swimmers, swimmers and swimmers.
In the clinic’s waiting room, the Falcons regularly sat on their master’s wrist glove. Qatari men wearing white coats treat expensive birds like babies, give them feathers and dip their nipples in water.
“If a person neglects his birds, that’s a big deal,” said Hamad al-Mehshad, the manager of the Falcon Festival, who brings its predators to regular medical checkups. “When a person treats a bird, it is different. “The love of the bird is extraordinary.”
The wealth of oil and global business could make Doha a futuristic capital with a stunning array of skyscrapers and mega-projects, including giant stadiums that will soon host millions of fans for the upcoming 2022 FIFA World Cup.
But Souq Waqif still sees a steady flow of 150 hawks a day, a sign that rumors of Qatar’s ancient past are not disappearing.
“The look that Falcon and his boss share is unlike any other aspect,” Al Karkhi said. “Falconers feel the loyalty of this bird – in the wild of a ruthless warrior and still in the hands of a pet.”
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Source: Huffpost
