City Guide: Bahrain

Located off the east coast of Saudi Arabia, the Kingdom of Bahrain is an island state in the Persian Gulf. Consisting of an archipelago of 33 low-lying islands, Bahrain takes its name from the largest island named Bahrain. It is linked to Saudi Arabia by the 26 kilometers long King Fahd Causeway. Standing as the smallest state among the Arab nations, the most of the population of the state lives in and around Manama, the capital of Bahrain. The basis of the state economy is the oil industry. Since 1930s, petroleum is the main economic activity of Bahrain instead of pearl diving.

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• Tourist Attractions

  Gaining its independence from Britain in 1971, Bahrain has a powerful middle-class and a highly liberal and modern nation. The archaeological heritage from a history of thousands of years, the traditional Arab culture and the glory of the Gulf play significant roles for Bahrain to be one of the top tourist destinations in the Middle East.
  
  Placed at the northeastern end of the state, Manama has a cityscape of new and old motives. The most important attraction of the city is the National Museum. Transcribed in both Arabic and English, the valuable pieces of this collection are the reflection of the Bahrain's history of thousands of years.
  
  Residing as one of the ancient mosques with its two minarets, Al-Khamis Mosque is one of the oldest Islamic heritages within the region.
  
  Barbar Temple is an archaeological complex of three temples from the 2^nd and 3^rd millennium B.C. These are stone built-temples.
  
  Bahrain Fort also known locally as the Portuguese Fort is one of the most significant archaeological sites of Bahrain. The first construction of the fort goes back to 2800 B.C.
  
  Royal Tombs are the cemetery of 85.000 burial mounds. These tombs situated at the A'ali Village are among the most impressive sites of the state.
  
  Bahrain is home to several valuable museums. Museum of Pearl Diving, Oil Museum, Currency Museum and National Museum are among the major ones placed at Bahrain.

• Culture & Entertainment

  Bahrain is known with its liberal and modern culture relative to the other Middle East nations. The Arab culture and Islam has significant roles over the social and cultural life of the city witnessing an economic growth. Not only the wealth of oil serves the liberal and modern atmosphere of Bahrain, but also the creations of a powerful middle class do.
  
  Bait Al Qur'an (the House of Qur'an) comprises a collection of the Holy Qur'an and manuscripts. This complex harbors a mosque, a school, a library, an auditorium and a museum.
  
  The traditional dress of the Bahrain women is Abaya (long loose fitting gown). A Bahrain man wears Thobe. The traditional headdresses of them are Keffiyeh, Ghutra and Agal. However, local inhabitants and foreign people also wear modern and fashionable dresses.
  
  Dancing accompanied by drums and reading Qur'an is highly pervasive at the state. Persian Gulf Region is known with its Khaleeji folk music. A male pearl diver of the state performs Fidjeri. Fidjeri is composed of dances, drums and singing.
  
  Bahrain is home to many cultural events. Muharraq Summer Festival (annual; July-August), Jewellery Arabia Show (annual; November), Bahrain International Garden Fair (annual; March), Horse Racing in Bahrain (annual; October-March), Bahrain International Book Fair (annual; March-April) and Bahrain International Halal Show are several examples from these events.
  
  Football is the main modern sport activity at Bahrain. Horse riding and golf are also popular activities. Horse and camel racing is the most famous entertainment. Bahrain is home to stables of a great range of horses to choose among.

• Food & Drink

  Food is a significant part of the culture of Bahrain. You will find the best palates from the world cuisine. The Bahrain culinary culture is dominated by the traditional palates. While fish, rice, meat and dates are popular supplies of the state cuisine the cafe culture is highly prevalent at Bahrain.
  
  Mach boos (meat or fish), Muhammad (sweet rice), falafel (fried chickpeas), shawarma (lamb or chicken), ghoozi (lamb with rice, boiled eggs and spices) and samboosa (a kind of fried pastry) are popular delicacy examples from the state cuisine. Hamour, safi and chacanad are among the foremost fishes of Bahrain cuisine.
  
  Ghahwas (coffee houses) of Bahrain are popular. These places are generally found at the city souks. Sisha, music and chess are enjoyed at these cafes.

• Shopping

  Bahrain is popular with its souks. Bahrain Souk, Manama Souk, Gold Souk and Isa Town Souk are the fundamental souks of the state. Fish Market at Manama is the location to find a great range of fish from the waters of the Gulf.
  
  Al Seef Mall, Bahrain Mall, Yatem Center and A'ali Mall are among the fundamental shopping malls of the state. Also, A'ali Village is the main location for the authentic pottery products of Bahrain.

Ticket Sales Offices: Bahrain

• Bahrain: Airport Map Information

  Bahrain Airport

  Address	:	Bahrain International Airport, P.O Box 586, Manama Kingdom of Bahrain
  Phone	:	+973 17321066

• Bahrain: Airport Map Information