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Journey

Coming from Oman, I arrived in Bahrain in the evening. The immigration at the airport was slightly more annoying than Oman as I was singled out and told to sit down, supposedly as it was my first visit to the country. After about ten minutes, I was given back my passport and told to buy a regular visa though I was only in the country for 24 hours on a long layover and requested a transit visa. Request denied. With my passport in hand and a shiny new stamp, country 121 was complete!

Outside of the airport I met the drive that would take me to the luxurious hotel, The Domain.

After a wonderful night’s sleep, I had a full day to explore the country. Fortunately the excellent team at The Domain arranged a comprehensive tour of the country with a guide and driver.

These are the highlights I saw in a day and only a sample of what the country has to offer.

National Museum

The oldest museum of the country was established in 1988. National Theatre of Bahrain lies next to the museum.

The tour started at the National Museum which had a well displayed collection of archeological artifacts, art, cultural displays, history, and even a 1932 Buick gifted to the Sultan by the United States.

The National Theatre of Bahrain is located next door but is still under construction.

Al Fateh Grand Mosque

Named after the conquerer of Bahrain, the large mosque is one of the largest mosques in the world with over 6,500 square meters to accommodate 7,000 worshippers. The mosque was built by the late Sheikh Isa ibn Salman Al Khalifa in 1987 and was named after Ahmed Al Fateh, the conqueror of Bahrain. In 2006, Al-Fateh became the site of the National Library of Bahrain.

As it was Saturday and a prayer was taking place, I was unable to visit the inside of the mosque though the outside was already impressive.

Manama Souk

Another souk which dates back to the founding of the city, has today transformed to a modern market and collection of shops. The streets were well maintained with several stores which seemed to be run by mostly immigrants. I browsed around and the area felt quite safe. I also ended up purchasing my Bahrain tourist shirt here which was perfect with the “I heart BH” sign. 

Bahrain Fort

Locally referred to as Qal’at al-Bahrain, this UNESCO World Heritage Site dates back to 2,300 B.C. and is layered as different civilizations built upon the strategic location including the Kassites, Portuguese and Persians.

At the entrance is the museum which displays the artifacts and relics found in the fort. The snake pots with human skeletons inside left an impression.

Then finally we headed to the actual fort. It was open to the public and people were out with their families. The fort was interesting with ruins around it and a dry moat. The sea had silted up so the fort became quite useless and was abandoned.

From the top was a great view of the city skyline.

There were also several modern art pieces on display in different chambers of the fort. One was a mess of black yarn and mirrors meant to look like a nightmarish spider web.

Bahrain Grand Prix

The Bahrain Grand Prix is world famous and historic as the first Formula One Grand Prix in the Middle East held in 2004.

The Grand Prix would take place in two weeks and my guide somehow managed to get us into the stands and pit where amateur cars and motorbikes were prepping to race. Overall the facilities were modern and well maintained and I could image the excitement of watching the Formula One from the stands.

Tree of Life

This 400 year old tree is famous as the only tree living in the area and sits atop the site of an ancient fortress. This large and lonely tree is reputed as a supernatural and mystical tree. This Prosopis tree may have survived due to its deep root system and the genus is known to thrive in desert environments.

In 2010, archaeologists started finding pottery and artifacts around the tree from the Dilmun civilization. I happened to find a piece of pottery in the sand as well.

There was also a small visitor center display. The place was actually the most crowded of the tourist attractions with many of locals hanging around climbing the tree and taking pics. 

The picturesque site was an impressive natural occurrence.

Surrounding the tree is a maze of small dirt roads with oil refineries, drills and “camps” that seemed to be a getaway for wealthy Bahrainis. Apparently this is where people get away to have fun with girls and possibly alcohol, away from prying eyes. They mostly consisted of large tents set up in a fenced-off courtyard where Porsches and Mercedes were parked.

Dilmun Burial Mounds

Ancient burial mounds of the Dilmun civilization are scattered around the island that date back to 2600 B.C. It is estimated that as many as 350,000 graves exist, with large graves areas that can be seen right off the main highway in the capital. In fact, we just pulled over so I could briefly check it out.

After the day tour, I had a great massage and dinner at The Domain before heading to the airport. My visit to Bahrain confirmed my expectations of a well developed country with a long and proud history.

Next up Kuwait!