This city has an interesting timeline leading back to 1345, when it was first mentioned in Islamic chronicles. Throughout the centuries it was conquered by different peoples; the Portuguese in 1521, the Persians in 1602, and the Al Khalifa dynasty since 1783. In the year 1958 it was declared a free port, and in 1971 it became the capital of the independent Bahrain.  

After the crude oil reserves started depleting in Manama, the main ‘economy boosters’ of the city became petroleum, heavy industry (i.e. aluminium smelting, ship repair…), banking and finance, and tourism.

Qal'at al-Bahrain is a fort that was built in the 14th century. The site it was built on was the capital of the Dilmun Civilization. In the 1500s, the Portuguese took over Bahrain because they realized it was a strategic trade route between different continents. Thus, this fort is sometimes still referred to as the Portuguese Fort. In 2005, the site was declared a WHS (World Heritage Site – UNESCO), as it was considered a “meeting point of cultures.”

The Al Fatih Mosque, Bahrain’s largest mosque, is open to all people, regardless of religion, thus making it a huge (literally, it has room for 7,000 people!) tourist attraction. The Al Fatih Mosque was built by the late Sheikh Isa Bin Salman Al Khalifa in the early 90’s.