Castles and fortresses in Manama surroundings

Answer: In the historical center of Manama are concentrated the Royal mosques of Al-Fateh and Al-Hamis, built in the VII and XIV centuries in the traditional Islamic style with characteristic minarets and arabesques. Nearby is the National Museum of Bahrain, which houses artifacts of the Dilmun civilization dating back 5,000 years. A modern contrast is the 240-meter-high twin towers of Bahrain MTC, designed by the architectural bureau Atkins in a futuristic style.

Answer: The fortress of Qalat al-Bahrain, a UNESCO site since 2005, combines Portuguese fortifications of the XVI century and older Dilmun layers of the III millennium BC. Here are preserved unique stone walls with jagged parapets, characteristic of the defense architecture of the Persian Gulf. In 1521, the fortress was stormed by the troops of the Portuguese Admiral Antonio Correia, as evidenced by cannonballs in the museum on the territory.

Answer: Children will be impressed by the Tree of Life, a 400-year-old acacia that survives in the desert with no visible water sources, surrounded by interactive exhibits about geology. In the cultural village of Al Jasra, you can see traditional crafts: weaving, pottery and the construction of wooden dhows. The Lost Paradise of Dilmun water park, with theme areas of ancient Mesopotamia, combines entertainment and educational elements.

Answer: The Manama-Suk market offers a kaleidoscope of pictures with arched passages, brass jugs and spices in the pyramids - the entourage has been preserved since the XIX century. On the Al-Fateh embankment, snow-white sailboats are especially photogenic against the background of the skyscrapers of the financial district. At the Al-Fateh Mosque, light is playing on the world’s largest fibreglass dome weighing 60 tons.

Answer: The Al-Riwaq Gallery in the Old Courthouse showcases contemporary Middle Eastern art, including Mona Hatoum’s installations. The House of the Qur’an houses a collection of rare manuscripts from the IX-XV centuries, including pages of Kufic writing from the Abbasids. Al-Arin Garden with endemic plants of the Persian Gulf is the only place where the wild date Phoenix dactylifera, described in Sumerian texts, is preserved.

Answer: The National Library contains the works of the medieval mathematician Al Jaseer, who developed trigonometric tables for navigation in the bay. Al-Sakir Palace hosted British intelligence officer Charles Belgrave, an adviser to the emir from 1926-1957, whose diaries became a historical source. The Museum of Petroleum presents the office of geologist Frank Holmes, who discovered in 1927 the first deposits that changed the economy of the region.