Bahrain has been at the crossroads of trade in the Gulf for centuries. First in gold and pearls, then when oil was discovered in 1932 and the economy suddenly escalated. Much of the landscape in the capital city, Manama, is now made up of dramatic buildings, such as the twin 50-storey towers of the Bahrain World Trade Center, the sleek glass-covered shopping mall known as The Avenues, which runs for almost a mile along the seafront Corniche, and the sky-piercing Bahrain Financial Harbour complex of high-rise housing banks and government offices.
But beyond the major business and economic elements, the city is also a magnet for tourists, welcoming visitors to a shopping paradise with excellent dining, arts and entertainment scenes. Many top chefs have given their names to restaurants in Manama but there’s plenty of street food to be found as well. Just explore the side streets around the souks and look for locals lining up for tables set up on the pavement.
If you fancy giving your credit card a beating you will find virtually all the international designer stores doing brisk business in the state-of-the-art malls. Or be sure to visit the souks for reasonably priced fabrics, lamps, carpets and gold jewellery.
Here’s how to make the best of a visit to Manama.
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What to do
Al-Fateh Grand Mosque is open to visitors every day except for Fridays and public holidays
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Prepare to be amazed at the Al-Fateh Grand Mosque, which can accommodate up to 7,000 worshippers. This spectacular building, with its 79-foot outer dome, is adorned with imported Italian marble, glass from Austria, and Indian teak. It also houses the national library, from where you can take a guided tour of the various prayer rooms decorated in grand style by local craftsmen. Money was obviously no object.
Make time to visit Bahrain Fort, properly called Qal’at al-Bahrain, a Unesco World Heritage site, fascinating for both its size and the many winding stairs and alleys inside the walls. You can see evidence of previous civilisations, including the Kassites, Greeks, Portuguese and Persians.
Put the Bahrain National Museum on your itinerary, an impressive modern building devoted to highlighting the country’s 6,000-year history, from ancient times, such as in the Hall of Graves where you can see early Islamic artefacts…
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