Bahrain
Asia · Manama · BH
Bahrain is the small island kingdom of the Gulf, a low, sun-bleached archipelago of coral sands, date gardens and the old pearling town of Muharraq, linked to the Saudi mainland by its famous causeway. Manama, the capital, mixes the modern towers of the financial district with the old souk, the Bab al-Bahrain gateway and the winding lanes of the gold, the spice and the fabric markets of the old quarter. The history of the islands runs deep: the thousands of Dilmun burial mounds, the fort of the Portuguese era and the pearling path of Muharraq tell a story that reaches back long before the discovery of the oil, and the single tree of life still rises alone from the desert. Fast, friendly and compact, Bahrain keeps a Gulf rhythm of late nights, good food and the open sea with its salt air always near.
Overview
Bahrain is a country in Asia. Its capital is Manama and the international dialling code is +973. Languages commonly used in everyday life here include Arabic. Local currency is the Bahraini Dinar (BHD). Our guide covers 1 airport, including Bahrain International Airport. We also list 1 city in Bahrain: Manama.
The Old Souk of Manama and the Lane of the Gold and the Spice
The old souk of Manama is the heart of the island's everyday commerce, a shaded grid of lanes that runs behind the Bab al-Bahrain gateway on the water. The spice stalls pyramid the saffron, the cardamom, the frankincense and the dried limes, their scents hanging thick in the heat, and the gold souk glitters in a single narrow lane of windows bent with the weight of the chains and the bangles. The fabric shops stack lengths of cotton and silk, and the perfume houses mix the oud and the rose oils to order for the evening. The lanes are busy, friendly and entirely local, and the old building fronts, the coral stone and the carved wooden balconies, are best seen in the cool of the morning. The souk is a proper piece of living Gulf trade.
The Pearling Path of Muharraq and the Coral Houses
The island of Muharraq holds the story of the pearl, the trade that made Bahrain rich long before the oil. The restored pearling path winds past the houses of the old merchants, built of coral stone and gypsum with the carved teak doors and the wind towers of the Gulf, and the museums tell the history of the divers, the ships and the seasons of the harvest. The path is quite and mostly shade, and the restoration has been careful, keeping the old brickwork and the courtyards intact. At the end, the old suq of Muharraq still sells the local food, the halwa and the sweets of the region. It is a calm, evocative walk through the Gulf's seafaring past, and a rare chance to see how the islands lived before the towers arrived.
The Bahrain Fort and the Burial Mounds of the Dilmun Era
The Bahrain Fort, a substantial Portuguese-era stronghold on the north coast, sits on a mound that holds more than four thousand years of settlement, from the earliest Dilmun town through the successive kingdoms of the islands. The site is a short, breezy walk from the capital, and the small museum keeps the finds of the excavation in the shadow of the fort itself. Nearby, the thousands of burial mounds of the Dilmun culture stretch across the plain, the low, stone-ringed barrows of a trading civilisation that linked Mesopotamia to the Indus. The scale of the old graveyard is the clearest proof of how long the islands have been inhabited. Together the fort, the museum and the mounds give a deep, quiet sense of Bahrain's place in the ancient sea routes.
The Tree of Life, the Night Bivouac and the Desert South
In the empty south of the island, the great mesquite tree of the desert has stood alone for hundreds of years, its green crown the only vertical line in the low sand and gravel plain. How it survives, without a visible source of water, is the local mystery, and the tree draws visitors through the afternoon and the evening. The surrounding desert is a playground of the islanders, who camp at the weekends, grill their kebabs and race their four-wheel drives over the dunes of the Empty Quarter side of the island. The night sky over the southern desert, away from the glow of the capital, is surprisingly full of stars. It is a quick, atmospheric escape from the city, and a good way to see the quieter side of the islands.
The Grand Prix Watch, the Causeway and the Islands Beyond
The Formula circuit at the south of Bahrain, built for the race weekend but alive on a quiet track day, is the modern symbol of the island's speed, and the grand prix brings the whole region to the gates in the spring. The causeway to Saudi Arabia carries a steady stream of traffic and gives a long, low view across the sea; the smaller islands, past the boatyards of the coast, are reached by the little ferries that run to the fishing villages of the north. The shores of the archipelago, with their sandbanks and their quiet coves, fill with the small pleasure boats on the weekends. Bahrain is small enough to feel there is always a new corner to discover, and the mix of the old pearling trade and the new speed gives the island its particular energy.
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- Capital
- Manama
- Currency
- Bahraini Dinar (BHD)
- Languages
- Arabic
- Calling code
- +973
- Internet TLD
- bh
Entry requirements
Check who can enter →See which passports travel visa-free or need a visa to enter Bahrain.
Airports (1)
All airports →Cities (1)
All cities →Frequently asked questions
What is the capital of Bahrain?
Manama is the capital of Bahrain, and the country sits in Asia.
What currency is used in Bahrain?
You pay with Bahraini Dinar (BHD) in Bahrain. Exchange rates move day to day, so check the current rate before you change money or use your card abroad.
Which languages do people speak in Bahrain?
The languages we list for Bahrain are Arabic. A couple of greetings in the local language go a long way when you travel, even in cities where another language is widely used.
What is the international dialling code for Bahrain?
The dialling code for Bahrain is +973 — keep the plus sign when you save the number.
Which airports serve Bahrain?
Bahrain International Airport (BAH) in Manama is the airport we cover for Bahrain.
Which cities in Bahrain do you cover?
Our guide lists 1 city for Bahrain: Manama (capital).