Bahrain is a beautiful tiny island actively reclaiming land, building skyscrapers and restoring its historical heritage. I could not expect that I would love this country so much!
You can easily explore together the current and former capitals of it: Manama and Muharraq! They are located just across a bridge from each other. See below the list of best things to do there.
Don’t miss your chance to get a Manama tourism passport – we got ours at the airport! There’s a list of activities spread through a few days, and you can scan your code at the machines placed at the sites of the mentioned landmarks. Get the points, try to win prizes – but we just had fun with this activity, it felt like being on a quest!
But first: Bahraini pearls
Also I’d like to address the elephant in the room: Bahraini pearls.
Pearls have been the main treasure of Bahrain for centuries (pearls from this area are first mentioned in texts dating to 2000BC!), and even Cartier fought to get the best Bahrain pearls in the 20th century!
You probably already thought: why Bahraini pearls were considered the best (before Japanese came to the idea of cultivating pearls in the 1920s)? Actually there are a few very special oyster beds very close to Muharraq where salt water mixes with sweet water from the underwater springs. This is said to make the water the most glittery and the pearls born here the finest and the purest.
1. Explore Qal’at al-Bahrain and its museum
Start exploring Bahrein with Bahrain fort, or Qal’at al-Bahrain, a UNESCO World Heritage Site since 2005! In the past this site was the main city of Dilmun civilization, one of the earliest ones in this area, known for its commercial connections with Mesopotamia, China and the Mediterranean.
The archaeological excavations made in the middle of the 20th century revealed the remains of cultures as old as 5000 years! The first fort on the site was built around 2300 BC, but the current fortress was constructed by the Portuguese in the 16th century.
Come to the Fort Museum too; it’s not very big but very modern and represents the history of the fort since early Dilmun period through the times of Alexander the Great and early Islam period till the Portuguese rule.
Unfortunately, you cannot enter the fort now as it’s closed for some works but we were told it’ll reopen in two years. Don’t miss the cafe and the shop after visiting the museum!
2. See Al-Fateh Grand Mosque with a guide
The Al-Fateh Mosque was founded in 1983 and opened in 1988 and named after Sheikh Ahmed Bin Muhammad Bin Khalifa, called ‘Al Fatih’ (it means the conqueror), the founder of modern Bahrain. As you can clearly see, it’s huge: it’s one of the largest mosques of the world.
You can visit it only with a guide from a mosque (for instance, we waited for about 20 min to be assigned with one), but it’s worth the wait. It looks pretty grand on the inside with materials brought from all over the world: Austria, Italy, Scotland..
The mosque is a part of the Islamic Centre, and there’s a national library located there too.
3. Explore Bab Al Bahrain and Manama Souq
Bab Al Bahrain is an impressive gate marking the entrance to the Manama souq. Its construction was promoted in 1949 by Sir Charles Belgrave, British advisor to the Royal rulers of Bahrain from 1926 until 1957, to be erected in 1949 on the site where traditional large dhow boats docked at a pier by the market.
Don’t be confused: as you probably know, a big part of Manama is artificially created land which used to be covered with water, and now the waterfront is pushed forward.
Manama Souq is a must for every Bahrain visitor! Come to the large covered part of it or get lost in the alleys of shops selling gold, souvenirs, carpets, spices, it’s up to you. Yes, the sellers might be a bit pushy and you have to bargain, but that’s what makes this souq authentic.
By the way, you can also find an operating synagogue in this part of the city!
4. Pop inside the Bahrain Post Museum
Post museum located close to the Manama souq is another historical venue on your list. Postal services started operating in the country in 1884, were supervised by the British till 1965 (you can still see a post office transferred here in 1947 operating nearby), and since then run independently.
Pop in to explore the process of post operation as well as an impressive collection of over 4000 stamps from all over the world as part of the Stamps of the World Exhibit!
5. Don’t miss the Shrinathji Temple
There’s also a hidden gem you should not miss when you walk around the Manama souq. This is Shrinathji Temple, or Shri Krishna temple hidden well behind the stall with Indian clothes, jewellery and fresh flowers.
It was established in 1817 which makes it probably the oldest Hindu temple in the region. This two story building is lavishly decorated with gold and different paintings.
6. Walk through the Pearling path in Muharraq
Muharraq is the third largest city of Bahrain and was the capital of the country till 1932.
The Pearling path is an itinerary in the historic part of Muharraq – the path is marked with lampposts shaped as pearls!
Pearling Path has been the UNESCO World Heritage site since 2012, and includes a number of restored historical buildings in Muharraq. Let me show you some of the landmarks there!
The Qal’at Bu Mahir is the very beginning of the Pearling path. It was founded by the Portuguese but the current fortification dates to 1840. It dominated the surrounding and protected the Muharraq. Later in 1868 it was partly destroyed by the British (it used to have four towers and mighty walls).
Other important sights of the Pearling path are the following. Al Ghus House, or the pearl diver house where you can learn how hard was this occupation; the Nukhidhah House, or the boat captain house; and a few Art galleries.
Siyadi House, Siyadi Majlis, and Siyadi Mosque, all belonged to the prosperous pearl merchants. Come here to see the amazing interiors and the fantastic exhibition on Bahraini pearls including the insight into pearl classification – for instance, Jiwan pearl is considered the purest and the most perfect one! – and Cartier masterpieces that included local pearls.
Many of those buildings were erected in the first part of the 20th century and marvelously reconstructed.
7. Stroll along the Bahrain Financial district
BFH, or Bahrain Financial district, built on reclaimed land has a fantastic waterfront with many attractions.
There are restaurants, bridges, sculptures, green gardens, and a number of prominent buildings worth seeing in the dimmed light such as the large Four season hotel and Arcapita cubic mosque.
I’d suggest you take a boat at the Avenues mall in the evening at the waterfront to spend marvellous 15 minutes exploring the Financial district from the water!
8. Peek inside the Dhow Building Yard
You can also visit a unique site: Dhow Building Yard! It’s one of the last places where you can order a custom dhow, a traditional cargo boat of the Gulf, and yes, you can still see how the boats are built from scratch!
Dhows are a symbol of Bahrain because for centuries pearling and fishing were the main traditional activities (I’ll talk about pearling a bit later). And you can watch them being repaired or constructed right by yourself! Our visit was organised by a guide.
9. Take a boat from Sa’ada seafront
Boat ride is the best way to get a first impression of Bahrain – one way to do it is the Sa’ada seafront!
This is a newly developed destination in Muharraq: located close to the historical Souq Al Qaisariya, it’s a gorgeous venue with marina, restaurants and boat tours for hire. It opened in 2020.
10. Spot the Bahrain World Trade Center
The Bahrain World Trade Center is one of the most beautiful landmarks of Manama. It’s a twin tower 240 metre high skyscraper that reminds you of a boat or sails; and the innovative wind turbines in the middle of it help to provide energy for the building needs.
Also you could visit the Moda luxury mall right from here!
11. Have a look at Al-Khamis Mosque
Al-Khamis Mosque is probably the very first mosque built in Bahrain! It was founded in the 7th century – at the very beginning of Islam! – and this building was erected in the 11th century (and rebuilt a few times later).
The name of the mosque comes from the weekly Thursday souq that used to take place weekly on this spot till the 1970s. As you can see, twin minarets of it are currently under restoration but you can still visit the area around this mosque and a small exhibition inside the visitor centre.
12. Shop and dine at City centre mall
Pop into one of the mail shopping malls of Manama, the City centre mall. Again, everything is familiar to Brits plus international and local brands: Boots, Debenhams, Clarks, Dune, Elan… a very nice and welcoming place to escape the heat.
We had the most magnificent lunch at Brunch and Cake, with salads, croquettes and lobster mac&cheese. Don’t miss the Souk section of the City centre, it’s really impressive!
13. Learn at Bahrain National Museum
The Bahrain National Museum is the largest museum in the country and was opened in 1988 (and now it seems that a grand redevelopment of the area around it is coming!).
It’s located in a large building with a sculpture garden at the entrance, and collection is spread throughout the following sections: the Hall of Graves, the ancient Dilmun civilization archaeological research, the Customs and traditions, the Tylos and Islamic periods, and the Manuscripts.
If you love museums, try visiting Beit Al Quran too.
14. Spend an hour at the Avenues
One of your stops in Manama should be the Avenues, a shopping mall along the Bahrain bay.
The first part of it opened in 2017, and the second is due to open this year. Its a large alley with shops and cafes on both sides, and it’s a really nice place to be whether you’re up to some Sephora skincare, Starbucks or EL&N coffee, cinema or local perfumes or sweets!
15. Have a ride along King Fahd Causeway
Bahrain is an island, and yet you can go to the continent by car! To get to Dammam in Saudi, you have to cross another striking landmark, the King Fahd Causeway. It’s a connected series of bridges around 25 km long. The customs took us only about 20 min as we already had an e-visa, but be ready to get stuck in traffic if you’re unlucky.
Where to stay in Bahrain?
Conrad is a newly built hotel in the financial Harbour of Manama, the capital of Bahrain.
We got a fantastic room – just look at this view over the Financial district harbour!
Our hotel was super family friendly, with all the kids receiving a welcome pack with a Conrad ‘passport’ full of activities. Once you finish it, you get a prize – a soft toy in our case.
On the top of the building there is a Sushi Samba restaurant (breakfast is served in the same area).
The outdoor facility was fantastic and decorated with stylish elements however unfortunately it closes one hour before the sunset every day, which is a shame. There’s also a cafe with delicious desserts in front of the reception desk.
You can also check my guides about:
Hope you liked my blog,
Yours,
Anna xxx
