Bahrain Fort, Bahrain. March 2015
Bahrain Fort
Most of Bahrain is NOT pedestrian friendly. On my visit there, I was looking for places that were reasonable walks from my hotel. I found "Bahrain Fort" to be nearby on the map. After crossing a major highway and traffic circle with some difficulty, I found myself on a quieter side of the island. Soon I was in front of an old stone fort on the beach. I thought at least it would make for a few nice photos, but what I learned there was even MORE exciting and the place made some of the headiest claims I had encountered in the whole region!
Who knew little oil-rich Bahrain island off the coast of Saudi Arabia would have such a long history? In fact, the fort site has yielded artifacts dating back the to Bronze Age! Consider this:
The first Bahrain Fort was built around three thousand years ago, on the northeastern peak of Bahrain Island. The present fort dates from the sixth century AD. The capital of the Dilmun civilization, Dilmun was, according to the Epic of Gilgamesh, the "land of immortality", the ancestral place of Sumerians and a meeting point of gods.
(Wikipedia)
"Meeting point of the Gods" and "Epic of Gilgamesh" - yes, the little fort museum sure had my attention with that! Plus, the Bahrainis had no hidden national agenda about the place. All the excavation findings on display in the fort museum were explained very scientifically (well, as scientific as mythological tales mixed with history can be). I remember one claim in the museum was that it may have even been the site of the Garden of Eden! What a history indeed for an island kingdom I only knew as a weekend watering hole for Saudis who could not get alcohol in their own country! Better yet, none of my Saudi friends (many of whom were "Bahrain regulars" ) had ever even HEARD of the fort. For me, it was an amazing find.
Add to this that the existing fortress was built by the Portuguese! So accustomed to all forts being Ottoman in Saudi Arabia, I was floored!
In addition to the archeological claims of it being the location of the capital of the Dilmun Civilization (which I found amazing, if true), I think the things I loved most about the fort were that it was being seriously studied, had an attached museum, and sported a lovely little cafe that faced out onto the Gulf. For me, Bahrain had suddenly acquired a lot more depth. After Saudi Arabia's lack of museums and its liberal interpretation of history to fit their national/religious narrative, I found this fort in Bahrain on the sea to be a breath of fresh air, literally. It was the first of many positive surprises for me in that small island Kingdom.
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