Officially named as the Kingdom of Bahrain, this little island is a sovereign state of the Persian Gulf. On this Bahrain itinerary I will share many inside tips from locals. Located between the Qatar peninsula and the east coast of Saudi Arabia, Bahrain’s population is over 1.2 million, of which around half are non-nationals. It is the third smallest country in Asia in size after Maldives an Singapore. Bahrain is famous for its pearl fisheries, which were considered the best in the world into the 19th century.
In the late 1800s, Bahrain became a protectorate of the United Kingdom and in 1971, it declared independence. Formerly an emirate, it was declared an Islamic constitutional monarchy in 2002.
The most visited touristic sites:
1 – The Al-Fateh Grand Mosque
A Mosque 6500 square meters big and capable to accommodate over 7,000 worshippers at a time is one of the largest mosques in the world. The mosque was built in 1987 and was named after Ahmed Al Fateh. Weighing over 60 tons, the dome is currently the largest fibreglass dome in the world. Not far from this place, is worth visiting Shawarma Alley, where many locals and foreigners eat a special type of shawarma called “Malghoum”. You can try meat or chicken, if you are vegetarian you can order Malghoum falafel.
2 – Bahrain National Museum
The largest and oldest public museum in Bahrain. Opened in 1988, the $30 million museum complex covers 27,800 square meters and is the country’s most popular tourist attraction. There is also the possibility to take a speed boat to the Maher fort in Muharraq. It leaves a few times a day from the museum harbor.
3 – Manama souq
Get lost in the narrow streets and alleyways of Manama souq is also one of the top attractions of Bahrain. You can find anything from spices to electronic goods. The main entrance of this ancient souk is the historic Bab Al Bahrain building and the country’s only synagogue is located in the area.
Nestled in a walkway just inside the main Manama Souq (Bab Al Bahrain), the traditional Haji’s Café with over 70 years is a great place to try local food. The bread is baked fresh directly in front of the restaurant.
4 – Rooftop Alto
Not far from the Souq there is a fancy hotel called Downtown Rotana. The rooftop lounge bar called “Alto” is a great place to have views over Bahrain. You can just take the elevator to Alto and have a look around, you do not need to stay or buy anything.
5 – The Khamis Mosque
This Mosque is believed to be the first mosque in Bahrain and one of the oldest mosques in the Middle East, as its foundation is believed to have been laid as early as 692 AD. The interesting thing about this mosque is that is possible to go all the way up the minaret.
6 – The Bahrain Fort
The largest Fort in the Persian Gulf region, once the capital of the Dilmun civilization is a UNESCO World Heritage Site since 2005. Many groups of people occupied this fort from 2300 BC up to the 18th century, including Kassites, Greeks, Portuguese and Persians.
7- A’ali pottery center
Bahrain’s biggest pottery handicraft centre. Is possible to visit their workshop and see the potters in action. They use the old-fashioned foot operated wheel, and bake the finished pots in kilns built into the nearby burial mounds; a traditional method passed down through generations.
8- A’ali graves
4,000 year old burial mounds. There are more than 100 thousand mounds scattered across Bahrain, but none come close to the magnificence of A’ali graves. A nice time to visit is in the late afternoon when it is cool enough to wander around the streets nearby and look for royal mounds.
The side of Bahrain not many see:
1- Traditional Pearl Diving wooden boats
Can be seen near the triangle bridge in Muharraq. Bahrain is famous for its pearl fisheries, which were considered the best in the world into the 19th century. Is possible to witness an ancient practice of locals building the wooden boats.
2 – Karbabad beach
Is a very local market and gathering place with lots of cheap local food and other things. One of the best vendors has a black jeep located here. Local food to try from this vendor include “kushari”, “macaroni bashamel” and “madroba”. Each one has two size the 1 dollar size (500 fils) and the 2.5 dollar size (1 BD).
3 – Nurana Island
Is worth walking from Karbabad to Diraz, small villages where you can see traditional houses and mosques. On the way cross by foot to Nurana Island which is always nice to see in daytime or nighttime. In this walk you will pass trough a lot of places with a yellow sign that says Karak, which is a tea type. In those shops they have very cheap food such as “sambosa” and “aloo” (potato in a ball shape) and the traditional Karak tea.
4 – Local villages
If you adventurous enough take the public bus towards Jaww and Askar and get lost. Buses heading south actually go to the desert. You might be the only foreigner that ever goes there but it’s interesting.
Great thanks to Abdulla from couchsurfing that provided most of those tips.
Thanks to my host Hamed Alqaseer that drove me around, showed me a lot of paces and was very kind.
Thanks to Anas Njjar that welcomed me on my arrival with a great brunch in Haji restaurant.
