New Delhi, July 15 -- Sheikh Hamad bin Khalifa Al Thani, who died Sunday at 74.

The visits began Monday and extended through Tuesday, as Qatar's three-day official mourning period continued. By midday Tuesday, leaders who had traveled to Lusail Palace or sent senior representatives included heads of state and government from at least 15 countries, spanning the Gulf, North Africa, Europe, sub-Saharan Africa, South Asia, and Central Asia. Al Jazeera's running tally of arrivals passed two dozen names by Tuesday morning. The encounters were brief, by protocol, and what was said in the private exchanges has not been disclosed.

But who showed up tells a story about what Sheikh Hamad built.

The Gulf was first. Bahrain's Crown Prince Salman bi...