The Bahrain National Museum – Bahrain is one of the most important museums in the country; it is also the largest.
Location
The Bahrain National Museum – Bahrain is located in Manama, the country’s capital city. It is close to the King Faisal Highway.
Getting There
Getting around Manama is best done through a taxi service, if you are not looking to get a car hire service.
From the airport or the city center, you can easily get a taxi to take you to the museum.
What to See
The Bahrain National Museum – Bahrain is among the oldest museums in the country and as such, it holds some of the oldest collections of historical artifacts and relics depicting the life and times of the people over a span of six thousand years.
From the outside, you can see statues on the grounds and a recreation of a traditional Bahraini village. These already give you a glimpse of what is in store for you inside the quarters of the museum.
The museum is comprised of two floors with various exhibits divided into specific categories.
In the Hall of Graves, you can find a representation of a Bahraini burial site complete with historical relics. Over at the Customs and Traditions section on the 2nd floor, you can see representations of traditional Arab markets, with replicas of items that were commonly sold in the olden days.
Another interesting exhibit is the depiction of typical life in the country, complete with life-size and life-like models in various poses.
Meanwhile, over at the Documents and Manuscripts section, you can find various written materials documenting the history of the country.
Brief History
The Bahrain National Museum – Bahrain was established in the year 1988. It covers the country’s history from as far back as six thousand years ago. It is said that the budget for this museum complex was pegged at a whopping 30 million US dollars.
Archeological relics, artifacts from the ancient civilization known as the Dilmun and artifacts depicting the cultural history as well as the traditional lifestyle of the Bahraini are all exhibited here.
The Natural History Hall was not in the original plans of the museum but was later added in the year 1993.
The structure that houses the various exhibits was designed by an architectural firm based in Denmark, the KHR Arkitekter.
Cost
Entry fees to the Bahrain National Museum – Bahrain are pegged at five hundred fils. Children are free of charge.
Other Information
The Bahrain National Museum – Bahrain is open from 8 in the morning to 2 in the afternoon on Saturdays, Sundays and Tuesdays.
Wednesdays and Thursdays, the museum is open from 8 in the morning up to 2 in the afternoon and then again from 4 in the afternoon up to 8 in the evening.
Fridays, the museum is open from 3 in the afternoon up to 8 in the evening only. Mondays, the museum is closed.
