Bahrain History and Bahrain National Museum |
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The Westin JeddahThe cosmopolitan city of Jeddah embraces 2,500 years of tradition and the hotel is located at the citys most fashionable address, the North Corniche. Five restaurants, an outdoor pool (with poolside services), hot tub, and fitness center with sauna are on site. Massage services are also available.he cosmopolitan city of Jeddah embraces 2,500 years of tradition as Saudi Arabia*s most important business center. Where once camel caravans and street vendors roamed the ancient city, now stands The Westin Jeddah, the city*s most fashionable address, ideally located on the North Corniche between down.....
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Bahrain may be a small country, but each area and island has its own very distinctive character. A lot of Bahrain Island is barren desert, as the surface is lime stone covered with saline sand, although with a surprisingly varied wildlife, but there is a fertile strip along the north coast. Much of the oil industry is concentrated near the highest point of the main island, Jebel ad-Dukhan. Bahrain is home to more than 600,000 people, about thirty per cent non - Bahraini immigrants. Manama, Bahrain's capital is an extremely cosmopolitan city.
Although Arabic is the official language, English is widely spoken. The entire country covers an area of only 706 sq km. Bahrain Island, the main island, is only 48km long by 16km wide, although there are another thirty-two islands, some of them very small. King Fahad Causeway connects Bahrain to Saudi Arabia - only 25km away. Bahrain was once connected to the Arabian mainland, only becoming an island about 600 BC, and it is believed that prehistoric settlers could have first occupied the islands as early as 10,000 BC. Trading accounts of the Sumerians from 3,000 BC record a land called Dilmun, the first mention of Bahrain's oldest recorded civilization. The climate of the Gulf was much more temperate in the days of the Dilmun civilization than nowadays, although the Gulf region was already turning to desert. Dilmun, or Tilmun, was one of the great trading empires and a major centre on the trade route between Mesopotamia and the Indian subcontinent
Portuguese explorer called Duarte Barbosa was probably the first European to visit Bahrain in about 1485, but it was not until early in the following century that the Portuguese navy occupied Bahrain. The Portuguese were eventually expelled from the islands by the Bahrainis, when in 1602 the Portuguese governor ordered the execution of one of Bahrain's richest traders, which led to an uprising. Bahrain's ruling family, the Al-Khalifas, first arrived in the mid-eighteenth century, coming from Kuwait. In 1861 Mohammad Al Khalifa signed a 'Treaty of Perpetual Peace and Friendship' with Great Britain. This treaty was the first of the so-called 'Exclusive Agreements' under which Bahrain and other Gulf states signed away control of their foreign affairs in return for Britain's protection. Sheikh Isa bin Sulman Al-Khalifa, the present emir's father, declared independence from Great Britain in 1971, almost immediately afterwards signing a treaty of friendship between the two countries, and both countries still maintain excellent relations. Sheikh Isa died in 1999 and was succeeded by his son Sheikh Hamad bin Isa bin Sulman Al-Khalifa, the present emir.
Bahrain Museum
Weather you are visiting Bahrain for 1
day or live in Bahrain the Bahrain National Museum is defiantly
worth a visit.
Located on the intersection of the Muharraq Causeway and King Faisal
Highway, the museum houses a terrific collection of artefacts &
exhibits from contemporary Bahraini paintings through to scenes
depicting life 6000 years ago during the Dilmun civilization.
Bahrain National Museum boasts an extensive section on Arabic
calligraphy, including a beautiful display of illuminated Korans and
other religious documents. The museum also houses a reconstruction
of a typical soukh during the 1930s showing the traditional trades
and crafts and is well worth a leisurely stroll through.
Don't forget to check out the pearling exhibit where there are
artefacts, photographs & models showing how Bahrain once prospered
thanks to the lucrative Pearl trade and before the advent of oil.
So for a fascinating insight into Bahrain's history go and visit the
Bahrain National Museum and don't forget to tell them that you found
their details on Newarabia.net.
Floor Plan of Bahrain National Museum
Opening Hours
SAT - SUN - TUES FROM 8.00 AM - 2.00 PM
MONDAY CLOSED
WED AND THURS FROM 8.00 AM - 2.00 PM AND FROM 4.00 PM - 8.00 PM
FRIDAY FROM 3.00 PM - 8.00 PM ONLY.
For more information, please call (+973) 292977
More Bahrain Historical Links
External Links
- crwflags.com - The history of the Bahrain Flag.
- www.nestorian.org - Bahrain Pre-Islamic period.
- wikipedia.org - On-line Encyclopaedia with nice section on Bahrain. Also allows you to add to information.