ManamaCapital
Bahrain · Country profile
Manama is the gleaming, waterfront capital of Bahrain, the modern financial capital of the Gulf that spreads its towers, its malls and its corniche along the northern shore of the island kingdom, between the turquoise waters of the Gulf and the desert of the interior. One of the great commercial cities of the Arabian coast since the pearling age, it has transformed in the oil decades into the dynamic banking and free-trade centre of the region, its skyline of the glass towers and its busy souks, its museums and its festivals carrying the international energy of the modern state. The old souk of the city, the grand mosque, the archaeological museum and the pearling heritage of the harbour anchor the essential visits, while the islands, the beaches and the ancient burial mounds of the surrounding terrain give the deep historical frame. Cosmopolitan, wealthy and relentlessly forward-moving, Manama is the brilliant nucleus of the small, ambitious Gulf kingdom.
About Manama
Manama is the capital of Bahrain. The city's documented population is around 200,000 people. For visitors from abroad, the local currency is the Bahraini Dinar (BHD) and Arabic is spoken; the dialling code is +973. It is served by 1 airport in our guide: Bahrain International Airport.
The Souk of the Pearls and the Corniche of the Waterfront
Manama is a compact, gleaming capital where the essential circuit moves between the old souk of the centre, the waterfront corniche and the museums of the town, with the mosque, the fort and the modern towers running the classic days. The museum of the country, with its extraordinary treasures of the Dilmun and its permanent galleries, the grand mosque of the capital with its enormous dome and the converted pearl fort of the harbour anchor the cultural circuit, while the souk with its gold and its fragrances and the palm-lined corniche carry the daily Gulf rhythm. The islands of the region, the ancient burial fields and the race track of the kingdom fill the day trips beyond the city, and the whole metropolis runs the confident, airline-route energy of the regional financial hub.
The Mosque of the Al Fateh and the Museum of the Dilmun
The climate of the capital is the fierce, dry Gulf weather, with the searing, humid summer, the mild, pleasant winter months and the rare rain of the turn of the year, while the interior of the island stays hotter than the tempered coast. The dinar of the country is the currency, with the Arabic and the English the languages of the modern city. The souk, the museum and the corniche make the core circuit, and the islands and the sites of the region lie a short drive beyond the town. Light summer clothing, modest dress for the religious sites and sun protection complete the easy preparation for the Arabian capital.
The Mounds of the Burial and the Race Track of the Kingdom
The museum of the country, the superb national museum of the harbour with its three wings of the Dilmun civilisation, its burial jars and its extraordinary votive statutes of the island, is the essential cultural stop of the capital and the presentation of the Bahraini past from the prehistoric mounds to the pearling age. The great mosque of the city, the enormous mosque of the national name with its white marble and its gigantic central dome, welcomes the visitors among the faithful, while the small oil fort of the old town, the weathered Ottoman fortress on the site of the ancient settlement at the tip of the peninsula, frames the maritime face of the city. The old souk of the capital, threading its lanes of the gold, the spices, the fabrics and the barber shops around the pearl dive square of the city, and the fishers stalls of the harbour with their catches of the Gulf, complete the essential, layered circuit of the modern Arabian capital.
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- Country
- Bahrain
- Population
- 200,000
- Coordinates
- 26.2708, 50.6334
- Capital
- Manama
- Region
- Asia
- Currency
- Bahraini Dinar (BHD)
- Languages
- Arabic
- Calling code
- +973
- Country code
- BH
Getting to Manama
Airports we list for Manama:
Frequently asked questions
Is Manama the capital of Bahrain?
Yes — Manama is the capital of Bahrain.
What currency do I need in Manama?
The local currency is the Bahraini Dinar (BHD). Languages spoken in Bahrain include Arabic.
What is the dialling code for Bahrain?
The international dialling code for Bahrain is +973.
Which airport should I fly into for Manama?
Bahrain International Airport (BAH) is the airport we list for Manama.
Flying out of Manama? Check the entry requirements for your destination in our entry requirements tool before you fly.