Bahrain
is an area of 33 islands with a combination of ancient and modern lifestyles.
Very tall modern city buildings
share the landscape with
epitome
of Islamic
art, majestic mosques, culture and architecture.
Manama
Bahrain’s capital, Manama is modern, and
dominated by a Manhattan style skyline. The souk is found in the old town centre, only a short distance away from the archway of Bab al-Bahrain. Though much
of the nearby quarter is modern, the street layout and separation
of occupations still follow traditional lines,
the gold souk, for example, is to be found to the south eastern vicinity of
the market and is especially striking during the
night.
Much land, some as well as the diplomatic region,
has been reclaimed from the sea. The very old city capital of Bilad
al-Qadim dating from AD 900 is just outside Manama.
Excursions
For those wishing to see some of Bahrain’s past, a visit to the A’ali
Burial Mounds is suggested. It is presumably the world's largest
prehistoric cemetery with around 170,000
burial mounds, which dates from between 3000 BC and AD 600.
Some other ancient sights are The House of Beit
al-Jasra (the home town of the Amir, Bahrain's ruler), Beit
al-Siyadi (the pearl trader's 19th century house), Barbar Temple,
the historic forts of Arad, Bahrain, and Riffa, which is the National
Museum (tracing the archaeological development of Bahrain and including
a historic burial mound dating from 2800 BC that was removed
from the desert and restored).
Also, Bait al-Qur’an (a sight of a rare selection of Islamic
manuscripts), the al-Fateh Grand Mosque (Bahrain’s largest
mosque), the Heritage Centre (mainly on traditional Bahraini culture)
and several Oil Museums bring interest to visitors.
In the ancient vicinity of the town, historic houses
still maintain their ‘wind towers’. Constructed 5 to 6
metres (16 to 20 feet) above the house and open on all four sides,
they act as simple air conditioning units.
Further tourist sights include long stretches of sandy beach
and coral reefs. The largest and finest beach is found
at Al Jazair, which is complete with pavillions, beach huts, and
picnic areas.
Journeys in traditional boats (dhows)
are available for both Bahraini people and foreign tourists to take across the islands to other places, which include al-Areen
Wildlife Sanctuary (where you can find nearly extinct species such as Arabian
Onyx), A’ali Village, al-Bander Resort, al-Dar Islands, Desert
Camp, Jebel Dukhasn (Mountain of Smoke), King Fahad Causeway and
Tree of Life. |
