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• Manama, Bahrain’s capital, is modern, dominated by a Manhattan-style skyline. Much land, including the diplomatic area, has been reclaimed from the sea. The ancient city capital of Bilad al-Qadim, which dates from AD 900, is just outside the new city. The souk lies in the centre of the old town, near the archway of Bab al-Bahrain and, although much of the surrounding area is modern, the street layout and division of occupations still follow traditional lines: the gold souk, for example, is to be found to the southeast of the market area and is particularly impressive during the hours of darkness.
• To sample some of Bahrain’s past, you must see the A’ali Burial Mounds. This is the site for probably the largest prehistoric cemetery in the world with approximately 170,000 burial mounds dating from between 3000BC and AD600.
• Look inside The House of Beit al-Jasra, which is the birthplace of the Amir, the ruler of Bahrain, and is a wonderful example of traditional Bahraini architecture (built in 1907), with exquisite external simplicity, constructed from local building materials such as coral stone.
• Stare at ancient forts such as those of Arad, Bahrain and Riffa.
• Go to the National Museum, which traces the archaeological development of Bahrain and see an ancient burial mound dating from 2800BC.
• Look up at Bahrain's largest mosque, the al-Fateh Grand Mosque. In addition, the Grand Masjid is constructed of masses of fibreglass and is particularly awe-inspiring under floodlights at night.
• Examine the 'wind towers' of ancient houses in the old town of Manama: constructed 5-6m (16-20ft) above the houses and open on all sides, they served as primitive air-conditioning units.
• Absorb the sight of long stretches of sandy beach and coral reefs in places such as Al Jazair, complete with beach huts, pavilions, and picnic areas.
• See endangered species such as Arabian Onyx at al-Areen Wildlife Sanctuary.
• Sit under the Tree of Life, which is a large green mesquite tree, astonishingly spouting from sterile desert ground. Hundreds of years old and the only tree for miles, it offers a welcome respite from the glaring heat.
• Look around the Barbar Temples, thought to have been built in worship of the God Enki and his wife. One temple is built on a spring of water on which there is a basin of the sacred well, and the water was almost certainly considered holy. In their entirety, three Barbar temples are built on top of one another, in degrees of antiquity, a general feature of Sumerian temples.
• Bait al Quran (The House of the Qur'an) is something resembling a museum of Holy Qur'ans and is definitely worth seeing for its rare collection of manuscripts revealing beautiful Islamic art and calligraphy, and for the architectural setting, which is serenely lovely.
See Contact Addresses for further tourist information.
• To sample some of Bahrain’s past, you must see the A’ali Burial Mounds. This is the site for probably the largest prehistoric cemetery in the world with approximately 170,000 burial mounds dating from between 3000BC and AD600.
• Look inside The House of Beit al-Jasra, which is the birthplace of the Amir, the ruler of Bahrain, and is a wonderful example of traditional Bahraini architecture (built in 1907), with exquisite external simplicity, constructed from local building materials such as coral stone.
• Stare at ancient forts such as those of Arad, Bahrain and Riffa.
• Go to the National Museum, which traces the archaeological development of Bahrain and see an ancient burial mound dating from 2800BC.
• Look up at Bahrain's largest mosque, the al-Fateh Grand Mosque. In addition, the Grand Masjid is constructed of masses of fibreglass and is particularly awe-inspiring under floodlights at night.
• Examine the 'wind towers' of ancient houses in the old town of Manama: constructed 5-6m (16-20ft) above the houses and open on all sides, they served as primitive air-conditioning units.
• Absorb the sight of long stretches of sandy beach and coral reefs in places such as Al Jazair, complete with beach huts, pavilions, and picnic areas.
• See endangered species such as Arabian Onyx at al-Areen Wildlife Sanctuary.
• Sit under the Tree of Life, which is a large green mesquite tree, astonishingly spouting from sterile desert ground. Hundreds of years old and the only tree for miles, it offers a welcome respite from the glaring heat.
• Look around the Barbar Temples, thought to have been built in worship of the God Enki and his wife. One temple is built on a spring of water on which there is a basin of the sacred well, and the water was almost certainly considered holy. In their entirety, three Barbar temples are built on top of one another, in degrees of antiquity, a general feature of Sumerian temples.
• Bait al Quran (The House of the Qur'an) is something resembling a museum of Holy Qur'ans and is definitely worth seeing for its rare collection of manuscripts revealing beautiful Islamic art and calligraphy, and for the architectural setting, which is serenely lovely.
See Contact Addresses for further tourist information.