Similarities are Differences: Soundscape Approach in Creating Identities of Doha and the Northern Areas in Qatar

Nowadays, due to the impacts of globalisation, many countries are consciously trying to identify their own unique place identity, primarily by preserving the historical heritage that reflects their tangible cultural heritage. However, very few scholars have attempted to reflect the identities of countries through soundscapes – a medium that can be preserved as a form of intangible cultural heritage. Accordingly, this research aims to capture the unique identity of Doha and the Northern areas in Qatar by producing soundscapes that record the differences in the geophonic, biophonic, and anthrophonic sounds. The soundscapes were produced based on people’s perceptions of sounds in these areas using a questionnaire that was distributed online, which was available in both Arabic and English and received 173 responses. The results showed that most respondents perceive the sounds of Doha and Northern areas differently. They linked Doha’s sounds with modernisation and development, while those of Northern areas were associated with tradition and calmness. Moreover, the results indicated that geophonic and biophonic sounds can be heard more clearly in Northern areas than in Doha. In contrast, anthrophonic sounds and lo-fi sounds are heard more in Doha than in the Northern areas. The results also indicated the most prominent sounds heard by the inhabitants of both areas. Based on the responses, two soundscapes were produced to reflect the unique identities of each area. The produced soundscapes are considered intangible forms of cultural heritage that are worthy of preservation as they reflect constantly changing identities. They provide the listeners with knowledge of the unique identities of the areas, and they can be transmitted to future generations to make them aware of the differences that have occurred in the identity of different places.