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Mosques and Historical Sites -- Bahrain

Religion and history have been inextricably linked throughout much of Bahrain's history, which stretches back 5,000 years to the era of Mesopotamia and Sumeria. Whether your curiosity is piqued by mosques, forts, colonial edifices or archaeological digs, Bahrain has much to offer.

Al Fateh Mosque

The first dwellings on the site of the Al Khamis Mosque are believed to have been constructed around 2800 B.C., and have subsequently been overlaid by numerous fortified settlements. The last was built in the early 16th century in order to defend Portugal's position in the islands. For this reason, it is also known locally as the Portuguese Fort. Numerous excavations have uncovered a variety of relics from the fort's past.

Built in the 16th century, Arad Fort is a prominent landmark. Located in the town of Arad on Muharraq Tsland, the castle is emblematic of Bahrain's history as a strategic location for several competing empires: Arad Fort was built by the Arabs, captured by the Portuguese and then wrested from the Portuguese by the Omanis.

Also known as the "Portuguese Fort," Bahrain Fort is a UNESCO World Heritage Site located on the northern coast of Bahrain Island near the small town of Karranah. Originally the capital of the ancient civilization of Dilmun, Qal'at al-Bahrain (as it is known locally) was occupied for nearly 4000 years, from 2300 B.C. until the end of the Portuguese occupation in the 16th century (hence the nickname). It is the most rich and significant site for the history of Dilmun, though only 25% of the mound on which the fort sits has been excavated.

Excavations of the Barbar Temple began in the 1950s. Remarkably, the digs have revealed three stone-built temples dating from the second and third millennia B.C. It is believed that they were built as a place of worship for the God of Spring Waters, Enki, and a sacred well within the complex has strengthened this theory.

Dilmun Burial Mounds

Riffa Fort

Siyadi House is one of Bahrain's most beautiful examples of 19th-century architecture. The house features ornate ceilings, stained-glass windows, carved screens and a large safe set into the wall of a small upper reception room.