Manama, Bahrain

The Kingdom of Bahrain is an island nation in the Persian Gulf north of Qatar. Civilization here dates back to the bronze age. The best known early civilization is the Dilmun dating back as much as 5,000 years.
Manama is the capital of Bahrain and together with Muharraq, is where most of the population lives.
The National Museum is justly famous, especially for its collection of Dilmun Civilization history and artifacts.
The 1st picture is a depiction of Gilgamesh, a Mesopotamian legendary leader dating back at least 3 or 4 millennia. Bahrain was a central trading hub. So many cultures interacted here. Likewise the 2nd picture is of preserved ancient inscriptions in several languages.
Much is made of Dilmun burial practices. The next 2 pictures are examples from different time periods of the practice which concludes with large burial mounds, of which there were more than 150,000. Some are shown in the 5th picture.
Bahrain was well regarded for its pearling industry all the way back to antiquity right up to the invention of cultured pearls in the 20th century. The 6th picture is a floating model of a typical pearling vessel. Pictures 7&8 are in a pearl museum, showing sizing, grading and the way the business worked back in the day.
The next 4 pictures are in the Grand Mosque: from outside; in the courtyard; within the main prayer hall; and from the balcony of the main hall.
The name Bahrain comes from Arabic, meaning 2 seas. It refers to salt water and fresh water together. Fresh water bubbles up in the midst of sea water and is drinkable. One of those springs is shown in the 13th picture at low tide. I've never seen this before.
The Bahrain (or Portuguese) Fort in the 14th picture is on an archaeological tell consisting of 6 layers of different eras, including the likely capital of Dilmun. Archaeology and restoration are ongoing.
Adjacent is the Tylos Fort in the 15th picture. Tylos is the Greek name of the Island dating from the arrival of Alexander the Great and his army.
The 16th picture is the British Gate built as part of their administrative complex and is an entrance to the souq in the 17th picture.
Lastly is a look at the harbor at night.Read more