Muharraq Cultural Walking Tour

As of 2012, “Pearling, Testimony of an Island Economy” has become the second World Heritage Site of the Kingdom of Bahrain as the testimony of its millennia-old pearl collecting tradition and the globally significant single-product island economy and social system it produced. “Pearling, Testimony of an Island Economy” is a serial nomination consisting of 15 property components: three vast oyster beds located in the northern territorial waters of Bahrain, one seashore site at the southern tip of Bahrain’s Muharraq Island, and nine clusters of historic buildings consisting of seventeen architectural structures embedded in the urban fabric of Muharraq city. Taken together, the fifteen individual sites reflect the final expression and last remaining – and thus outstanding – example of a cultural tradition that dominated the Arabian Gulf from prehistory to the early 20th century.

The music hall located Near Mohamed bin Faris House, for the art of the Khaleeji Sound will host musical evenings and folklore troupes to revive the art of the Gulf. Visitors are also invited for free traditional Khaleeji music every Thursday.

a 60 year old traditional restaurant in Bahrain. Local's and resident's favorites samboosa place! We make a little stop to taste the delicious samboosa with potato.

BAHRAIN PAVILION - Archaeologies of Green, the pavilion of the Kingdom of Bahrain, at the Expo Milano 2015 is a poetic interpretation of the cultural agrarian heritage of the country, which stems from the ancient civilization of Dilmun. With ten distinctive fruit gardens, containing trees that will be fruit-bearing at different moments throughout the six-month duration of the exhibition, the pavilion also features archaeological artifacts that celebrate the millennia-long tradition of agriculture and perpetuate the many myths of Bahrain as the location of the Garden of Eden and the land of the million palm trees.

Built on the land of the original majlis of Shaikh Ebrahim bin Mohammed Al Khalifa, the current building is a modern reconstruction. Since 2002, more than 400 artists, speakers, philosophers, and poets have visited the Shaikh Ebrahim Center to share their art and thoughts in this venue dedicated to the open exchange of ideas and knowledge. To accommodate an ever-larger audience, a new auditorium opened in December 2008, with a seating capacity of around 300.

This children's library is a resemblance that Bahrain is a leader in children's education since the early 19th century.

LUQMATINA CAFE - A snack restaurant in the old house converted into a restaurant. AL NUKHIDA HOUSE - The Nukhidhah house is one of the houses located on the future“Pearl Walk”, as a part of the project “Pearling and its cultural landscapes in Bahrain”. The time I got the task by the Shaikh Ebrahim Bint Mohammed Al-Khalifa Center for Culture & Research for conservation and to create the design for the rebuilt part of the complex as a German architect and conservation expert, I took the challenge with great pleasure and enthusiasm. Preserving the ancient part and designing the attached architecture in a modest way was what an architect desires.

The Nukhidhah house is one of the houses located on the future“Pearl Walk”, as a part of the project “Pearling and its cultural landscapes in Bahrain”. The time I got the task by the Shaikh Ebrahim Bint Mohammed Al-Khalifa Center for Culture & Research for conservation and to create the design for the rebuild part of the complex as a German architect and conservation expert, I took the challenge with great pleasure and enthusiasm. Preserving the ancient part and designing the attached architecture in a modest way was what an architect desires.

House of Art - At the heart of this house, there is a shortcut to the city of Muharraq through photographic works that capture the visual memory of this intimate city. In the art of poetry and deep language, the voice of the poet Mahmoud Darwish in some way compensates for his absence. Likewise, the sea offers a parallel charm, touching the place through preparatory work (qourqour) ties from each thread of his net a diver’s float fished by the sea. From this house, which was part of the original house of Sheikh Ebrahim Bin Mohammed Al Khalifa, the arts will speak of Muharraq with its visuals, of the magic of Bahrain and the sea, of the Arab world through the voice of the poet Mahmoud Darwish.

MEMORY OF THE HOUSE - From that big house that once housed the council of Sheikh Ebrahim bin Mohammed Al Khalifa, as well as his library, correspondence, and intellectual and cultural meetings, nothing remains except for a single memory, faithful in its gestures and details. The memory that carries the details of his life, the personal belongings that remained after his death, is today the witness and guardian of time. The center takes visitors through the life of Sheikh Ebrahim Bin Mohammad Al Khalifa by touring his rooms, detailed with the furnishings of the time, decorated by delicate carvings, the stories that are told, and the things that evoke his memory in this house.

House of Coffee - The House of Coffee opened its doors to the public on 2 April 2009. The House of Coffee represents a combination of three old traditional Bahraini houses. To maintain the overall look of the area and the small lane leading to the house, the traditional façade was retained. However, the interior of the houses was renovated and now functions as a café. Visitors to this area of Muharraq now have the opportunity to stop and rest at this café, sampling its modern and distinctive menu. The House of Coffee complements the traditional coffee place at the entrance of the area leading to the Shaikh Ebrahim Center.

Kurar House - The Kurar House was established on 12 March 2007 to preserve the dying and unique Bahraini art of Kurar embroidery. The building provides a venue for elderly Bahraini ladies to pass on the art of the Kurar to younger generations. The Shaikh Ebrahim Center furthermore promotes the art and production of Kurar by supporting the artisans in their production and marketing of Kurar-embroidered clothes.

AL NUZUL HOUSE - A traditional Bahraini guest house.

ABDULLAH AL ZAYED HOUSE FOR BAHRAINI PRESS HERITAGE - The Abdullah Al Zayed House for Bahraini Press Heritage was the first restoration project undertaken by the Shaikh Ebrahim Center with private sponsors. The newly restored 100-year old building opened in November 2003. Being the house of the founder of the first weekly newspaper in Bahrain and the Gulf, the house is dedicated to the preservation of Bahrain’s press heritage and at the same time preserves part of the country’s unique architectural traditions.

Siyadi House, also known as Bayt Siyadi is a historic building in Muharraq City, Kingdom of Bahrain. It is part of a larger complex of buildings constructed for the pearl merchant Abdullah bin Isa Siyadi, which further includes a mosque and a majlis

Visitors will enjoy Bahraini tea, coffee, sweets, and dates. (Dinner or lunch packages) on special request.