Among history’s most distinguished addresses is a small island country in the middle of the Arab world, the Kingdom of Bahrain. This cluster of 33 natural islands was the centre of trade in the Bronze Age between Mesopotamia and Indus Valley.
To encapsule nearly 5,000 years of Bahrain’s history into a radius of two kilometres, stand on the rampart of the Qal’at al-Bahrain or the Bahrain Fort near capital Manama and look around! The original structure of the fort is 3,000 years old, rebuilt to its present state by the Portuguese in the 16th Century. The fort is built atop a 17.5 hectare mound or ‘tell’ that contains seven layers of human habitation, created on top of one another from third millennium BC.
Sharajarat-al-Hayat or the Tree of Life.
If every act of excavation is destruction of sorts, then it was a challenge to unearth successive layers of civilisation in that mound without razing structures atop. Only a fraction of the mound has been excavated so far, revealing residential, commercial, military and religious structures.
Also in the north is the world’s largest prehistoric cemetery, the best-preserved one being in the A’ali village. There are innumerable rows in length and width of what look like giant anthills. There are pottery workshops all around, and some artisans even use the burial chambers as kilns!
Shajarat-al-Hayat or the Tree of Life is a 32-ft-high Prosopis Cineraria tree that has made a seemingly impossible living in the desert for nearly 400 years. But to be fair to nature, these trees are known to survive well in deserts and have deep roots that suck out underground water. Go anyway for the magnificent sight of a grand-old tree in the middle of the harsh desert, not too far from the endless oil pipes and a cluster of those iconic pumpjacks, the ‘nodding donkeys’.
Barbar Temple.
Evidence of religious practices 5,000 years ago can be found in the Barbar Temple. Though completely in ruins, archaeologists have sniffed that three successive temples were built here in five stages. A sunken chamber that encloses a water source points at a water cult. The reigning deity could have been the Mesopotamian god of wisdom and sweet water, Enki.
Another Dilmun-era residue is the Saar temple, west of Manama. In antiquity, temples were also timepieces. There is a triangular room at this temple’s northwest that points directly to the setting sun on Summer Solstice. The day is believed to be the beginning of the Mesopotamian and Arabian New Year. And don’t miss the Bait-ul-Quran or the House of Quran. This multi-purpose building showcases Quranic manuscripts from as early as 8th Century, most of them the personal collection of one Abdul Laitf Jassim Kanoo. The collection traces calligraphic traditions from the first Hijri century to the present day. Many are illuminated manuscripts, written in gold and silver. I spotted the first printed Quran, published in Germany in 1694.
The first to discover oil, Bahrain was also the first to shrug off its dependence on the golden liquid. It has reinvented itself as a financial and tourism hub. It is also the Arab world’s favourite weekend getaway. A whistle-stop day trip would cover its modern achievements — the Bahrain National Museum, the National Theatre, the Al Fateh Grand Mosque and the Bahrain International Circuit.
Roam its souks, particularly those in Muharraq and Manama for the spices, carpets, jewellery and the ubiquitous Chinese fare. The main entrance to the Manama souk is behind an impressive gate called the Ba’ab-al-Bahrain or the Gateway of Bahrain. Completed in 1945 and originally on the sea, it has now been pushed inland due to extensive reclamation.
So catch a flight, check into any hotel that suits your pocket and rent a car. And do not miss the naan-lookalike kuboos garnished with the spice mixture zaatar or the salty-and-sweet egg balaleet at the iconic Chai Café. Also, the chilled saffron juice.
