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Bahrain International Exhibition Centre (BIEC) is one of the most modern facilities in the region for hosting exhibitions, conferences, and seminars. Information on conferences and exhibitions in Bahrain can be found on their website.
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Al-Khamis Mosque  (show details)  (hide details)
15 minutes by car
For tours and excursions, please contact the concierge at (973) 1758 0000 ext. 7007 for bookings and more information.
The twin minarets of this ancient mosque are easily identifiable as you drive along the Sh. Salman Road. It's considered being one of the oldest relics of Islam in the region, and the foundation is believed to have been laid as early as 692AD. An inscription found on the site, however, suggests a foundation date sometimes during the 11th Century. It has since been rebuilt twice in both 14th & 15th centuries, when the minarets were constructed. The mosque has been partially restored recently.
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Bahrain Fort (show details) (hide details)
15 minutes by car
1729 2977
The first dwellings on the site are believed to have been constructed around 2800 BC, and have subsequently been overlaid by numerous fortified settlements. The last was built in the early 16th century to defend Portugal's recent acquisition of the islands-for this reason, it is also known locally as the Portuguese Fort. Numerous excavations have uncovered a variety of relics from the forts past.
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Seyadi House (show details) (hide details)
For tours and excursions, please contact the concierge.
This is one of the most impressive examples of a 19th century and has many features to look for. Seyadi House is located in Seyaqdi neighborhood in Muharraq city on the northern side of Shaikh Isa Bin Ali Al Khalifa House. The house was built in 1905 by Ahmed bin Qassim Seyadi, a famous pearl merchant in the Gulf region. The house consists of five rooms, two open halls (Lewan), corridor, small courtyard and a roof encircled by wind towers.
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Dhow Building (show details) (hide details)
For tours and excursions, please contact the concierge.
Close to Qal’at Arad, the small dhow building yard is a good spot to see Bahrainis at work on their traditional fishing boats. On route from the airport to Manama you can see the old tradition of dhow building. Local fishermen still practice the craft, making boats of all shapes and sizes. Teak, oak and pine wood is used for dhow building as it is resistant to wetness. Best time to visit: early morning hours.
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Shaikh Ebrahim Bin Mohammed Al-Khalifa Center for Culture and Research (show details) (hide details)
The concierge at the hotel can help arrange for tours.
Driving this cultural renaissance is heritage Shaikha Mai bint Mohammed Al Khalifa, the initiator behind the transformation of this residential neighborhood into a showcase for Bahrain’s bid to become a UNESCO Arab World Culture Capital.
Beit Ebrahim Al Arrayed: The house of the Bahraini poet and intellectual was restored as a cultural centre with exhibition rooms, a library and spaces for lectures and public events. Abdullah Al Zayed Press Heritage House: The former home of Abdulla Al Zayed, who established Bahrain’s first magazine in 1934.
Beit Al Kurar: This tiny museum was conceived in the hope of saving the endangered craft. Kurar’s labor intensive embroidery typically required three women, who weaved a multitude of threads between their fingers to produce the fringe along traditional thobes. Iqra Children’s Library: This bright and modern book-filled playhouse has a goal: Exposing and connecting neighborhood children to cultures differences.
Bait Mohammed bin Faris: Visitors view display cases holding his musical instruments, sheets of music notes, personal correspondences with musicians all over the Arab world and his collection of gramophone records.
House of Coffee: Showcasing the tradition of Arabic coffee, as it is a place to relax and lounge after a day of sightseeing in the neighborhood.
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Al-Fateh Mosque (show details) (hide details)
For tours and excursions, please contact the concierge.
The Al-Fateh Mosque (also known as Grand Mosque) is one of the largest mosques in the world, capable of accommodating over 7,000 worshippers at a time.
The enormous dome of the mosque is made of pure fiberglass. Weighting over 60t (60,000kg), the dome is currently the world’s largest fiberglass dome. Al-Fateh now includes the new National Library which opened to the public in 2006. The mosque was built by the late Shaikh Isa bin Salman Al Khalifa in 1987 and is named after Ahmed Al Fateh, the conqueror of Bahrain.
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Bahrain Fort (show details) (hide details)
For tours and excursions, please contact the concierge.
Qal'at al-Bahrain (also known as the Bahrain Fort or Portuguese fort) is the largest archaeological site located in Al Seef District. Created 2300 BC up to the 1600's it was once the capital of the Dilmun civilization, and served more recently to defend Portugal's acquisition of the island. Excavations by the Danish archaeological expedition have unveiled the remains of buildings of six cities located around the fort. In 2005 it was inscribed as a UNESCO World Heritage Site.
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Oil Well No.1 (show details) (hide details)
45 minutes by car
For tours and excursions, please contact the concierge at (973) 1758 0000 ext. 7007 for bookings and more information.
As its name suggests, this is the first oil well in the Gulf. "Spurted" on 16th October 1931, the well finally began to blow heads of oil on the morning of 2nd June 1932, too much celebration on the part of those involved in the project. It is situated below jebel Dukhan, the Mountain of Smoke, which, at a height of 134 meters (450 feet), is the highest point of the island. Its name comes from the misty haze, which frequently surrounds it on a hot and humid day.
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Shaikh Isa's House (show details) (hide details)
20 minutes by car
1733 4845. Alternatively please contact the concierge at (973) 1758 0000 ext. 7007 for tours and excursions.
Shaikh Isa's house, in the old town of Muharraq, was once the home of the Amir`s great-grandfather, Shaikh Isa Bin Ali Al khalifa . It provides a fine example of local architecture, complete with wind tower, wall carving and lattice work, and its representative of traditional 19th century life. One of the early forms of "air conditions" was the wind tower, a traditional landmark of local architecture. This would act as a funnel, catching the breeze and drawing it down it down into the cavities below, as well as allowing the release of hot air like a chimney.
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Barbar Temple (show details) (hide details)
15 minutes by car
For tours and excursions, please contact the concierge at (973) 1758 0000 ext. 7007 for bookings and more information.
Excavations, which were begun in the 1950s and 1960s, have revealed three stone-built temples dating from the second and third millennia BC. 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 strengthens this theory.
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Bahrain National Museum (show details) (hide details)
10 minutes by car
1729 2977. Alternatively please contact the concierge at (973) 1758 0000 ext. 7007 for tours and excursions.
A rich collection of Bahrain’s ancient archeological artifacts is on display in nine halls depicting archeology, culture, the lifestyle of Bahrain’s recent pre-industrial past and natural flora and fauna.
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Bait Al Qur'an (show details) (hide details)
15 minutes by car
1729 0404. Alternatively please contact the concierge at (973) 1758 0000 ext. 7007 for tours and excursions.
The House of the Qur'an was built to accommodate a comprehensive and valuable collection of the Holy Qur'an and manuscripts, a concept which is unique in the Arabian Gulf. All visitors are welcome, and the complex comprises a mosque, a library, an auditorium, a school and museum consisting of five exhibition halls.
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Oil Museum (show details) (hide details)
45 minutes by car
For tours and excursions, please contact the concierge at (973) 1758 0000 ext. 7007 for bookings and more information.
Situated near "Oil Well No.1" the museum was inaugurated on the 2nd June 1992 to commemorate the 60th anniversary of the discovery of oil in Bahrain, the first country of the Middle East to do so, despite the pessimistic pronouncement of a leading geologist that he would "drink every drop of oil produced South of Basra". It houses some fascinating exhibits, including drilling equipment, documents, old photographs and a working model of an oil rig.
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Pottery (show details) (hide details)
For tours and excursions, please contact the concierge.
Watch the potters at work in Al Aali pottery workshop and witness traditional methods using ancient kilns that have been passed down generation after generation. The pottery was once used in Bahrain for many different purposes; storing water, decoration, money boxes and many more. The local pottery industry is concentrated in Al Aali in the mist of the island’s oldest and largest burial mounds.
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The Souq (show details) (hide details)
10 minutes by car
For tours and excursions, please contact the concierge at (973) 1758 0000 ext. 7007 for bookings and more information.
No Visit to Bahrain would be completed without a trip to the souq (market), with its profusion of colors, sounds, and aromas. All wares are sold, from cloth of colors and textures to gold and jewelry as well as the traditional array of spices and local produce. Bartering is expected, and indeed turns the whole experience of shopping into a challenge to see who can obtain the best price. The central market, completed in 1978, provides modern facilities for trades, which were unavailable, when the market took place in the souq. It is well worth a visit, if only to enjoy the brightly colored display of fresh fruit and vegetables, as well as the scents of the herbs, nuts and spices.
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The Souk (show details) (hide details)
For tours and excursions, please contact the concierge.
A combination of three souks at Bab al-Bahrain offering a labyrinth of exploration that will tempt and fulfill the senses.
The word souk means market in Arabic. The central market is the place for fruit and vegetables, herbs, nuts and spices. The gold souk sells high quality pearls and Bahrain gold, which is usually 21 carat and carries a hallmark. Always bargain in the souk, as it is part of the fun.
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The Gold Souq (show details) (hide details)
10 minutes by car
For tours and excursions, please contact the concierge at (973) 1758 0000 ext. 7007 for bookings and more information.
Bahrain gold is usually 21 carat and hallmark; it is available in an infinite number of styles, including traditional Bedouin designs as well as the more contemporary European jewelry. If you can't see what you want, and then don't worry pieces can also be made to order, although it is wise to confirm a price before the craftsmen go to work.
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Tree of Life (show details) (hide details)
45 minutes by car
For tours and excursions, please contact the concierge at (973) 1758 0000 ext. 7007 for bookings and more information.
Standing alone in the desert about 1.2 miles (two kilometers) from the Jebel Dukhan, this flourishing mystic tree provides welcome shade from the heat of the day, although its source of water remains a mystery
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Bahrain International Circuit (show details) (hide details)
30 minutes by car
For tours and excursions, please contact the concierge at (973) 1758 0000 ext. 7007 for bookings and more information. www.bahraingp.com.bh
The Bahrain International Circuit was the venue for the inaugural Bahrain Grand Prix in 2004, and has continued as a regular F1 stop. The construction of the Bahrain circuit and goal of bringing a F1 race to the country was a national objective for Bahrain, largely championed by the Crown Prince, Shaikh Salman bin Hamad Al Khalifa. The circuit was designed by German architect Hermann Tilke and cost approximately $150 million to construct.
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Diving (show details) (hide details)
For tours and excursions, please contact the concierge at (973) 1758 0000 ext. 7007 for bookings and more information.
History and ancient history would suggest that diving itself was probably born in and around the warm shallow waters of Bahrain. Here, divers, underwater photographers and snorkellers can discover a myriad of Indo Pacific species including clown fish, trigger fish, surgeon fish, turtles, rays, lion fish, grouper, snapper, crayfish and even whale sharks; while tuna, mackerel, trevally and barracuda cruise above. In addition to reef diving there are a number of wrecks around the island, including ships, planes, tugs and barges that have something special to offer the inveterate diver. Dugongs (sea cows) can also be seen feeding on the sea grass in the southern waters of Bahrain during the cooler winter months. Scuba and snorkeling education, equipment, experiences and excursions are available to an international standard through a PADI 5 Star Dive Centre located in Manama.
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