Bahrain National Museum Travel Guide

The Bahrain National Museum, inaugurated in 1988, stands as a cultural icon and a gateway to the island's rich 6,000-year history. Designed by Danish architects Krohn & Hartvig Rasmussen, its modern design harmonizes with the Arabian Sea. The museum is located on an artificial peninsula overlooking Muharraq Island. It is considered one of the finest museums in the Gulf region.The museum complex is composed of two connected buildings with approximately 20,000 square metres of floor space. The main building houses permanent and temporary exhibition halls, an art gallery, a lecture hall, a gift shop, and a café.The museum features six main halls: the Hall of Dilmun, Hall of Dilmun Graves, Hall of Tylos and Islam, Hall of Documents and Manuscripts, Hall of Customs and Traditions, and Hall of Traditional Trades and Crafts. The Hall of Dilmun showcases artifacts from the Dilmun civilization (5000-400 BC), including Dilmunite stamp seals, pottery from Barbar Temple and Saar Temple, and the Durand Stone. The Hall of Dilmun Graves focuses on burial practices and features an actual burial mound transported from A'ali. The Hall of Tylos and Islam displays pottery, glassware, and jewelry from Bahrain's Tylos period.Visitors can also explore Bahrain's customs, traditions, and crafts before the discovery of oil in 1931, with models recreating a traditional marketplace. The Natural History Hall focuses on Bahrain's flora and fauna. The museum also hosts temporary exhibitions and events throughout the year.