Travel Reference
In-Depth Information
MANAMA
POP 329,510
Manama means 'Sleeping Place', but with its central atmosphere, its late-night shopping,
and its lively bars and nightclubs, it's hard to see when the city gets a chance to sleep.
Manama is a night bird and people flock in on weekends for fine dining and an off-duty
drink.
For those who prefer an early start to a late night, the city is sleepy enough by day, and
it's unlikely there'll be much of a queue for the excellent Bahrain National Museum. That
said, Manama's recent role as Arab City of Culture has led to a much greater emphasis on
music, art and heritage events that has been of benefit to all.
History
On the face of it, Manama appears to be an entirely modern city, built quite literally from
land reclaimed from the sea and typified by grand new building complexes such as the
Bahrain World Trade Centre and the Financial Harbour. But appearances are deceptive and
in fact Manama can trace its roots in Islamic chronicles as far back as AD 1345. In all like-
lihood, there were settlements on and around the best springs on the island for many cen-
turies before that.
Invaded by the Portuguese in 1521 and then by the Persians in 1602, Manama then
passed into the hands of Al-Khalifa, the current ruling family, in 1783. It became a free
port in 1958 and the capital of independent Bahrain in 1971.
With a third of Bahrain's population living in the city, Manama continues to grow at a
steady pace. A great way to gauge that growth is to enter the national museum and trace the
myriad building projects across the satellite maps embedded into the floor. Together these
projected public works, which include a soon-to-open 1000-seat National Theatre and a
'pearling pathway', make a fine foundation for the future of this easy-going city.
Sights
All of Manama's main sights are located either along Al-Fatih Hwy or near (if not on)
Government Ave. They are within an energetic walking distance of each other or a short
taxi ride away. Note that opening hours change frequently - call in advance to avoid disap-
pointment.
