Travel in Bahrain - Bahrain - Culture - WorldTravelGate.net®-

Tree of Life

Bahrain is the largest island in an archipelago off the east coast of Saudi Arabia, accessible by a causeway adjoining the two countries.

An adequate freshwater supply, unique in the region, and the benefits of having one of the largest oil refineries in the Gulf, has given the country great prosperity. Water sports, golf, tennis, and horseracing are enjoyed throughout the country.

Manama, Bahrain’s capital is modern, dominated by a Manhattan-style skyline.

Goldsouk 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 follows traditional lines.

Tours to historic sights operate daily.

Souk They include the renovated home of a pearl merchant, the old Portuguese forts and the excavations at Saar where visitors can actually walk around the 4000 year-old town.

Artefacts in abundance have been found there and one of the most famous is a perfectly preserved pearl, possibly the oldest in the world.

It is now on display at the Bahrain National Museum which houses a fine display of Bahrain's history and heritage and is open six days a week.

At least 4000 years ago foreign businessmen settled in Bahrain and, today, one of their settlements at Saar on the island's west coast is a tourist attraction. Cargo ships carrying both basic commodities and luxury goods passed through ancient Bahrain as they moved up and down the Arabian Gulf and beyond.

In establishing the island as the regional trading centre of the Gulf, the people of Bahrain were no strangers to playing hosts to foreigners. The tradition continues and today visitors quickly discover that the Bahrainis are a generous, open and gregarious people with a warm welcome for foreigners.

Bahrain offers a lifestyle that is cosmopolitan, safe, relaxed and unsurpassed in the Arabian Gulf. From beach-front villas to garden compounds to single bedroom flats, the price of accommodation ranges from US$500 to US$1500 per month. The atmosphere of Bahrain is ideal for those who wish to raise families.

Private schools adhere to internationally accepted curricula and graduates are accepted by western universities and colleges. The schools include St. Christopher's, Ibn Khaldoon, Al Bayan, the Asian School, the Indian School, the Japanese School, the Bahrain School; all of these offer an international baccalaureate programme. In addition, for Catholic students, there is Sacred Heart and several mixed elementary schools.

Within the Gulf, Bahrain has become an entertainment centre with concerts, sporting and cultural events. Events include performances by western pop acts, travelling ballet and opera troupes, Arab musical stars, plays performed by international actors and exhibition sports matches. Bahrain offers facilities such as a 4000-seat indoor theatre plus conference centres and major outdoor arenas.

A long tradition of association with other cultures, a stable government and a strong sense of national identity make Bahrain a pleasant place to live. It is one of the few countries in the Gulf where the nationals are in the majority.

Bahrain's population is a young one, with almost half under twenty. Illiteracy has virtually disappeared among young people and a high proportion of Bahrainis speak English, which is a compulsory second language in schools.

Khamis Mosque Although Islam is the state religion and 85% of the population are Muslim, there are also Christians, Jews, Bahai, Hindu and Parsee groups. Each group is free to practise its religion.

Arabic is the official language of Bahrain. Farsi is not uncommon, and English is widely used in business.

The 1980s saw a boom in tourism, caused partially by the opening of the 25km causeway linking the island to the east coast of Saudi Arabia. The government responded to the influx which today is in excess of 2 million people annually by launching a series of tourist strategies aimed at developing the island's potential as a weekend retreat.

In addition to regional tourism, current initiatives are promoting Bahrain as a tourist resort and are bringing tourists from Scandinavia, Russia and even the United States.

While Bahrain's modern facilities cater to the needs of both tourists and locals, the authorities are very concerned about preserving the country's rich cultural heritage. And there is every indication that the formula is working and that Bahrain will retain its popularity with visitors and grow as an international destination.

British citizens and Gulf Cooperation Council nationals (GCC -- Kuwait, Saudi Arabia, Qatar, the United Arab Emirates and the Sultanate of Oman) do not need visas to enter Bahrain. Britons may stay up to one month while GCC nationals are free to stay as long as they like.

On production of a confirmed return or onward air ticket, passport-holders of most other western nations can get a 72-hour transit visa or a 7-day tourist visa upon arrival at Bahrain Airport or at the Bahraini customs post on the causeway from Saudi Arabia. The 72-hour visa costs BD4 and the 7-day one BD8, payable in either Bahraini or Saudi currency. In the transit lounge at the airport there is a money changer. Arrivals at the airport are often asked to show an onward or return air ticket.

Israeli stamps in your passport mean you will not be admitted to Bahrain.

One problem with arriving in Bahrain without a visa is that Bahrain does not seem to recognize the idea of naturalization. In other words, if you are an Indian-born American or Briton who is a naturalized citizen of either country, you remain, as far as Bahraini immigration officials are concerned, an Indian, which means you cannot be issued with a visa at the airport. The best and safest way around this possible problem is to have your visa arranged by one of the larger hotels in Bahrain.

Whatever your national background, if you classify yourself as a journalist, writer or editor, you stand a good chance of being refused admittance to Bahrain unless the Ministry of Information is sponsoring your visa. This glitch is also applicable to British citizens even if they are on holiday or in transit for a single night. The Ministry normally takes about a week to arrange visas.

Women travelling alone may also experience difficulty in being granted visas at the airport. The rules pertaining to unaccompanied females seem to change frequently. Older women will probably have no problem but younger ones would do well to book a room at a hotel and have the hotel arrange the visa.

Drivers coming from Saudi Arabia are required to sign a guarantee promising to take the car out of Bahrain after a specified time. This paper is very important as it must be turned in to customs on the way out of the country. A mandatory insurance fee of BD1.5 or SR15 is levied upon each car crossing the causeway.

Tours to historic sights operate daily.

They include the renovated home of a pearl merchant, the old Portuguese forts and the excavations at Saar where visitors can actually walk around the 4000 year-old town.

Artefacts in abundance have been found there and one of the most famous is a perfectly preserved pearl, possibly the oldest in the world.

It is now on display at the Bahrain National Museum which houses a fine display of Bahrain's history and heritage and is open six days a week.

Available sporting activities include horseback riding, sailing, all kinds of water sports and there is a variety of sports clubs.

Fully equipped private gymnasiums offer a range of activities as well as weight rooms and squash courts.

Despite its small land mass and population, Bahrain has a rich cultural heritage, dating back about 5,000 years. The splendour of its ancient civilisation is revealed in a wealth of historical treasures, housed in its museums.

The Muharraq Museum is a small, one-storey building, unimpressive perhaps at first glance, but containing many fascinating archaeological relics which trace the story of the island's past. These relics are well-illustrated by texts in Arabic and English, and also by drawings and photographs.

In the manuscript section, many beautiful old copies of the Qur'an are on view, with fine examples of centuries-old Arabic calligraphy. Evidence of Bahrain's ancient international trade can be seen in a rare display of Dilmun seals.

For those who enjoy learning more about traditional Bahraini life, the ethnographic section of the museum contains displays of traditional costumes, cooking utensils, a reconstruction of a barasti kitchen, as well as models of pearl divers and their boats. Much visited by local schoolchildren, this is a popular attraction.

Museum of Pearl Diving The construction of the causeway which links Bahrain with Saudi Arabia, and the building of the new Hamed Town on the island's west coast presented colossal problems to Bahraini archaeologists. Bulldozers unearthed thousands of tumuli (burial mounds), which are thought to date back to the Bronze Age, and it was a race against time to explore them before they were destroyed for ever. Sketches were made and many treasures were unearthed and removed to safety -- treasures which include pottery, skeletons, tools and other artefacts. These were stored until the completion of the new museum complex on King Faisal Highway.

Bahrain's comparatively new Heritage Centre was opened on National Day in December 1984. It is situated across the causeway in Manama, and can be found on Government Road in the old law court building. Modelled on the style of a Bahraini house, the Centre contains many artefacts of a bygone era, and seeks to portray traditional occupations and pastimes. The exhibits are housed in a number of rooms, all leading from a central, open-air courtyard. Falconry, pearl-diving and boating all have their own displays.

Rooms on the Centre's first floor reconstruct traditional decor, which has practically disappeared from today's Bahraini houses. The typical kitchen, with its copper pots and pans and its suspended storage shelf, known as almurfa, is well worth a visit. Al-Ma'isha, the living room, is also an interesting area, but the pièce de résistance is, without doubt, the wedding bedroom. Decorated with mirrors and huge coloured glass ornaments, this would have been the best room in the bride's father's house. In pride of place stands the huge, four-poster bed, with its wooden canopy draped with a richly decorated awning. In a room such as this, the bridal couple would stay for two weeks after the wedding, until the gift day (adiya).

Other exhibits in this fascinating museum include a display of weapons and one of historic photographs, which show the many changes, which have taken place in Bahrain over the past half-century.