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Qal’at al-Bahrain: an ancient archaeological site to explore
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It can’t compete with the pomp and glamour of neighboring Dubai and Qatar, but the small island country of Bahrain has a history and, in recent years, many excellent museums have emerged to maintain its heritage.
Hidden in a wallet of classical architecture amid urban sprawl, they’re a rewarding exploration of a few days, explains George Kipouros in Wanderlust, and, for the curious, there are other, more active tactics for interacting with local culture, from local classical music concerts to pearl fishing lessons, which was once the island’s main industry.
Bahrain means two seas in Arabic, a reference to the underwater freshwater springs where the world’s most productive oyster farms are located.
From the fourth to the first millennium B. C. , Bahrain at the center of a civilization that experts say Dilmun, the trading country discussed in ancient Mesopotamian texts. In the center of the island there is a huge desert box of burial mounds, which shape the necropolis of the world.
Many of the treasures found there are exhibited in the new national museums and Qala’at al-Bahrain. These come with finely carved soapstone seals, as well as votive offerings of dead pearls and snakes, suggesting a ritual that would possibly have been connected to the myth of Gilgamesh, which is a style for the biblical story of Eden.
In the myth, Dilmun is like a paradise where Gilgamesh discovers the flower of immortality in a sea of fresh water, only to be stolen through a snake. Experts recommend that the “flower” be a pearl: Gilgamesh retrieves it as a pearl seeker, with stones attached to His feet.
In the ancient city of Muharraq, a trail called the Pearling Path connects a series of beautiful nineteenth-century buildings, adding elaborate pearl merchant mansions. Among them are a dozen captivating small museums, galleries and concert halls overseen by the Culture Center, which celebrates the island’s fresh arts and classical culture.
Visit pearldiving. bh to learn more about pearl diving trips.
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