ISTANBUL / AA

Qatar bid farewell on Sunday to former Emir Sheikh Hamad bin Khalifa Al Thani, who died earlier that day, in a grand funeral in the capital Doha.

Qatar's Emir, Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad Al Thani, performed on Sunday the funeral prayer for his father at the Imam Muhammad bin Abdul Wahhab Mosque in Doha.

On Sunday morning, Qatar announced the death of Sheikh Hamad bin Khalifa Al Thani at the age of 74. The Amiri Diwan said in a statement that the funeral prayer for the late emir would be held after Maghrib prayer on Sunday at the Imam Muhammad bin Abdul Wahhab Mosque in Doha, before his burial at Lusail Cemetery.

The Amiri Diwan indicated that Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad Al Thani will receive condolences from heads of state, the ruling family, dignitaries, and citizens at Lusail Palace on Monday, Tuesday, and Wednesday, during the morning period from 8:00 a.m. to 11:30 a.m. local time (05:00 to 08:30 GMT), and in the evening from after Asr prayer until Isha prayer.

Later, the Amiri Diwan declared a four-day public mourning period starting Sunday, with work suspended in government bodies and institutions from Monday, and flags to be flown at half-mast throughout the mourning period.

In 1995, Sheikh Hamad assumed power, and he handed over the reins of government on June 25, 2013, to his then-crown prince, Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad Al Thani, the current Emir of Qatar.