Founded in the mid-14th century and with a population of 759,000, Bahrain´s capital feels smaller, older, and more layered than many Gulf capitals. It has its share of flashy Dubai-style skyscrapers, but at Manama´s heart is an unfancy, lived-in core centered around the Bab Al Bahrain and Manama Souq, a maze of traditional market lanes selling gold, spices, textiles, and sweets.

Then heading east and north from the souq area is where you´ll find the financial district towers, luxury hotels, waterfront developments, and shopping malls like The Avenues.  Districts like Seef and the Diplomatic Area are more contemporary, with wider streets and Gulf-style glass architecture, while farther south, areas such as Juffair are nightlife-oriented (and heavily expatriate), with hotels, apartment towers, bars, and restaurants.

Some highlights not to miss include the Bahrain National Museum, which lays out the archipelago´s history dating back to the Dilmun, as well as a lot of material on traditional life and the pearl production which was so important before the discovery of oil (and still remains a thing today). Also definitely check out the Qal’at al-Bahrain (Bahrain Fort), a UNESCO World Heritage Site located a ten-minute drive from the center, which reveals layers of settlement dating back to 230 BCE, from ancient Dilmun till the 18th century. Also worth a visit is Al Jasra House, the family home of independent Bahrain´s first emir, Isa bin Salman Al Khalifa, for a look at traditional Bahraini furnishings and crafts. Visitors are welcome (outside of worship times) to the 38-year-old Al Fateh Grand Mosque, one of the world´s largest, accommodating some 7,000. Take some time out to enjoy the trendy galleries, boutiques, and cafés of Block 338 in the Adliya district a ten-minute drive south of the souq, and check out the Beit Al Quran, a complex in the suburb of Hoora featuring the world´s foremost Islamic museum.

Read more in my post An Introduction to Bahrain, Plus 5 Spots Not to Miss.

Zairon