People & Heritage

Bahraini woman's traditional dress on display at Bahrain National Museum

A tobacco merchant in the traditional Manama Souq

Nearly five-sevenths of the population is Arab, and most are native-born Bahrainis, but some are Palestinians, Omanis, or Saudis. Foreign-born inhabitants, comprising more than one-third of the population, are mostly from Iran, India, Pakistan, Philippines, Britain, and the United States. About three-fifths of the largely Asian labour force is foreign. Image File history File links Metadata Size of this preview: 398 × 599 pixelsFull resolution (400 × 602 pixel, file size: 94 KB, MIME type: image/jpeg) Bahraini womans traditional dress. ... Image File history File links Metadata Size of this preview: 398 × 599 pixelsFull resolution (400 × 602 pixel, file size: 94 KB, MIME type: image/jpeg) Bahraini womans traditional dress. ... Since 1988 a rich collection of Bahrains ancient archaeological artifacts have been on display at the purpose-built Bahrain National Museum. ... Image File history File links Metadata No higher resolution available. ... Image File history File links Metadata No higher resolution available. ... Shredded tobacco leaf for pipe smoking Tobacco can also be pressed into plugs and sliced into flakes Tobacco is an agricultural product processed from the fresh leaves of plants in genus Nicotiana. ... Bahrain from space, June 1996 Manama (Arabic: المنامة Al-Manāmah) is the capital city of Bahrain and is the countrys largest city with a population of approximately 155,000, roughly a quarter of countrys entire population. ... The Palestinian flag, adopted in 1948, is a widely recognized modern symbol of the Palestinian people. ...

The population is more than four-fifths Muslim and includes both the Sunni and Shia sects, with the latter in the minority. Arabic is the official language of Bahrain, but English is widely used. Persian is also common, although it is mostly spoken in the home. There is also a collection of Hadith called Sahih Muslim A Muslim (Arabic: مسلم, Persian: Mosalman or Mosalmon Urdu: مسلمان, Turkish: Müslüman, Albanian: Mysliman, Bosnian: Musliman) is an adherent of the religion of Islam. ... Sunni Islam (Arabic سنّة) is the largest denomination of Islam. ... Shiʻa Islam (Arabic شيعى follower; English has traditionally used Shiite) makes up the second largest sect of believers in Islam, constituting about 30%–35% of all Muslim. ... Arabic can mean: From or related to Arabia From or related to the Arabs The Arabic language; see also Arabic grammar The Arabic alphabet, used for expressing the languages of Arabic, Persian, Malay ( Jawi), Kurdish, Panjabi, Pashto, Sindhi and Urdu, among others. ... Persian (Local names: فارسی Fârsi or پارسی Pârsi)* is an Indo-European language spoken in Iran, Afghanistan and Tajikistan as well as by minorities in Uzbekistan, Turkmenistan, India, Pakistan, Azerbaijan, Georgia, Southern Russia, neighboring countries, and elsewhere. ...

Traditional Basket Weaver

In spite of its rapid economic development, Bahrain remains, in many respects, essentially Arab in its culture. Football (soccer) is the most popular modern sport, while traditional pastimes such as falconry, horse riding, and gazelle and hare hunting are still practiced by wealthier Bahrainis. Horse and camel racing are popular public entertainments. Image File history File linksMetadata No higher resolution available. ... Image File history File linksMetadata No higher resolution available. ... For other uses, see Arab (disambiguation). ... Football is a ball game played between two teams of eleven players, each attempting to win by scoring more goals than their opponent. ... Flying a Saker Falcon Falconry or hawking is an art or sport which involves the use of trained raptors (birds of prey) to hunt or pursue game for men. ... Species Several, see text A gazelle is an antelope of the genus Gazella. ... Jack rabbit and Jackrabbit redirect here. ...

Traditional handicraft industries enjoy state and popular support. The Bahrain National Museum in Manama contains local artifacts dating from antiquity, such as ivory figurines, pottery, copper articles, and gold rings, many of which reflect various cultural influences from outside Bahrain. There is also a small but flourishing avant-garde art community. Since 1988 a rich collection of Bahrains ancient archaeological artifacts have been on display at the purpose-built Bahrain National Museum. ... Bahrain from space, June 1996 Manama (Arabic: المنامة Al-Manāmah) is the capital city of Bahrain and is the countrys largest city with a population of approximately 155,000, roughly a quarter of countrys entire population. ...

Traditional dresses

A man wearing thobe (white gown), ghutra (white headdress), agal (black ring on the ghutra), and bisht (black overcoat)

An Abaya shop in Bahrain

The typical Bahraini woman dresses conservatively, usually the Abaya (عباية), a long loose-fitting black gown, is worn. However, there is no formal dress code in Bahrain, and foreigners as well as local women are seen wearing modern outfits as well. Image File history File links Bisht. ... Image File history File links Bisht. ... A thobe is an ankle-length garment with long sleeves, similar to a robe. ... An Iraqi militiaman wearing a predominantly red keffiyeh in a turban style. ... A Bahraini man wearing agal. ... Image File history File linksMetadata Download high-resolution version (400x602, 69 KB) Abaya shop in Manama, Bahrain. ... Image File history File linksMetadata Download high-resolution version (400x602, 69 KB) Abaya shop in Manama, Bahrain. ... A shop selling abayasin Bahrain The abaya is an overgarment worn by some women in Muslim-majority countries. ... A shop selling abayasin Bahrain The abaya is an overgarment worn by some women in Muslim-majority countries. ...

Bahraini men usually wear the Thobe (ثوب) and the traditional headdress which includes the Keffiyeh, Ghutra and Agal. A thobe is an ankle-length garment with long sleeves, similar to a robe. ... An Iraqi man wearing a predominantly red keffiyeh in a Charraweyya (جراوية) style. ... An Iraqi militiaman wearing a predominantly red keffiyeh in a turban style. ... A Bahraini man wearing agal. ...

• The Thobe, sometimes called Dishdasha, is a loose, long-sleeved, ankle-length garment. Summer Thobes are white and made of cotton and winter Thobes can be darker and made of wool.

• The Ghutra is a square scarf, made of cotton or silk, folded in a triangle and worn over the Keffiyeh. In Bahrain, it is usually red and white checked or all white. There is no significance placed on which kind the man wears.

• The Keffiyeh is a white knitted skull cap worn under the Ghutra. The Agal is a thick, double, black cord that is worn on the top of the Ghutra to hold it in place.

• The Agal is a cord that is fastened around the Keffiyeh to hold it in place.

In some occasions, Bahrainis wear a Bisht, which is a cloak made of wool, over the thobe. Unlike the thobe, the Bisht is soft, and it is usually black, brown, or grey. A man wearing a thawb (white gown) under a bisht (black overcoat worn over the thawb) A thawb or khameez (Arabic: ‎) is an ankle-length garment, usually with long sleeves, similar to a robe. ... A man wearing thobe (white gown), ghutra (white headdress), agal (black ring on the ghutra), and bisht (black overcoat) Bisht is a traditional Arabic men’s cloak popular in the Arabian Gulf and some Arab countries. ...

Media

Further information: Media of Bahrain

Several weekly and daily papers are published in Arabic - Akhbar Al Khaleej, Al Ayam, Al Waqt to name a few. A small number of newspapers appear in English - Gulf Daily News, Bahrain Tribune. Most of the press is privately owned and is not subject to censorship as long as it refrains from criticizing the Ruling family. The state television and radio stations broadcast most programs in Arabic, although there are channels in English and Hindi. Arabic ( or just ) is the largest living member of the Semitic language family in terms of speakers. ... Akhbar Al Khaleej is a Bahraini daily with a Left wing/Arab nationalist slant. ... The English language is a West Germanic language that originates in England. ... The Gulf Daily News is an English-language newspaper published in the Kingdom of Bahrain by Al Hilal Group. ... The Al-Khalifa dynasty is the ruling family of Bahrain. ... Hindi ( , Devanagari: or , IAST: , IPA: ), an Indo-European language spoken mainly in northern and central India, is the official language of the Union along with English. ...

Arts, Music & Dance

Front and rear views of an Oud.

(See also: Music of Bahrain)

Arts include readings of the Quran, ceremonial dances accompanied by flat drums, and storytelling. The poets of Bahrain are famous for their poetic verses and carry on established traditions while also exploring new themes. Births and marriages call for wide-scale celebrations in Bahrain, which often are a pleasure to take part in. Apart from this, the people of Bahrain are also known for their artistic skills, the boats used for fishing and pearling, being an example of this craftsmanship. The traditional jewelry also speaks volumes about the intricate designs that the people of Bahrain can come up with. An oud. ... An oud. ... Bahrain is a small island in the Persian Gulf, and is part of the pan-Gulf khaleeji folk traditions. ... The Quran (Arabic al-qurʾān أَلْقُرآن; also transliterated as Quran, Koran, and less commonly Alcoran) is the holy book of Islam. ...

Khaleeji is a style of Persian Gulf-area folk music, played in Bahrain with polyrhythms. The style is strongly influenced by the music of Africa. The Bahraini male-only pearl diving tradition is known for the songs called Fidjeri. Fidjeri is a musical repertoire performed traditionally by male pearl divers of Bahrain. It involves singing, clapping, drums and dances with earthen water jars. Gulf Arabic (occasionally Persian Gulf Arabic) is a variety of the Arabic language spoken around both shores of the Persian Gulf, mainly in Kuwait, eastern Saudi Arabia, Bahrain, Qatar, the United Arab Emirates, and parts of Oman. ... Polyrhythm is the simultaneous sounding of two or more independent rhythms. ... A world map showing the continent of Africa Africa is the worlds second-largest and second most-populous continent, after Asia. ... Fidjeri (sometimes spelled fijri or fidjeri) is the specific repertoire of vocal music sung by the pearl divers of the Arabian states of the Persian Gulf (especially Bahrain, Kuwait and Qatar). ...

The music of Bahrain follows the traditional Arabic mode. It is elaborate and repetitive. It is played on the oud (an ancestor of the lute) and the Rebaba (a one-stringed instrument). Bahrain also has a folk dance tradition. The Ardha is a men's sword dance, which is accompanied by traditional drummers and a poet, who sings the lyrics. Front and rear views of an oud. ... A medieval era lute. ... Ardhanarishvara (half male-half female God) Note the sculptures left is female and the right is male, depicting Shiva and his consort Shakti/Parvati. ...

A small number of films have been made in the country (see Cinema of Bahrain). The Cinema of Bahrain is very small, there being only three Bahraini-made films as of 2007, all directed by Bassam Al-Thawadi. ...

Food and Drink

A Khubz bakery in Bahrain

Gahwa served in Dalla and Finjan with dates.

Bahrain's traditional food include fish, meat, rice, and dates. One of the most famous Bahraini dishes is machboos (مجبوس), which is made up of meat or fish served with rice. Another known food is muhammar (محمر), which is sweet rice served with dates or sugar. Image File history File links No higher resolution available. ... Image File history File links No higher resolution available. ... A Khubz bakery in Bahrain Khubz is an Arabic flatbread, which is part of the local diet in many countries of the Arabian Peninsula. ... Image File history File links No higher resolution available. ... Image File history File links No higher resolution available. ...

Bahrainis also eat other Arabian food such as falafel, fried balls of chickpeas served in a bread, and shawarma, lamb or chicken carved from a rotating spit and wrapped in pita bread. Traditional snacks include samboosa and pastry. Falafel balls Falafel ( Arabic:  , Hebrew: ), also known in Egypt and Sudan as tameya (طعمية), is a fried ball or patty made from spiced fava beans and/or chickpeas. ... It has been suggested that this article or section be merged into Döner kebab. ... One might be looking for peta. ... Sambusac, also known as simbusak or samboussa, is a small fried pasty, which may be either half-moon shaped or triangular. ...

Another important part of the Bahraini diet is the fresh fish of the Gulf, of which the king is the Hamour (grouper), typically served grilled, fried, or steamed. Other popular local fish include Safi (rabbit fish), Chanad (mackerel), and Sobaity (see bream). Most of the time, fish is eaten with rice. A century of British rule in the Gulf has also made fish and chips popular in Bahrain. Genera Acanthistius Alphestes Anyperidon Caprodon Cephalopholis Cromileptes Dermatolepis Epinephelus Gonioplectrus Gracila HypoplectrodesLiopropoma Mycteroperca Niphon Paranthias Plectropomus Saloptia Triso Variola For the computer program, see Grouper (Windows application). ... Mackerel is a common name applied to a number of different species of fish, mostly, but not exclusively, from the family Scombridae. ... Bream caught in the Volga River near Kashin, Russia. ... The example shows modern packaging. ...

Another delicacy is Qoozi (Ghoozi), which is grilled lamb stuffed with rice, boiled eggs, onions and spices. The traditional flatbread is called Khubz. It is a large flatbread baked in a special oven. Numerous Khubz bakeries dot the country. A Khubz bakery in Bahrain Khubz is an Arabic flatbread, which is part of the local diet in many countries of the Arabian Peninsula. ...

Coffee, called Gahwa (قهوة) locally, is considered a part of the traditional welcome in Bahrain. It is usually poured into a coffee-pot, which is called dalla (دلة) in Bahrain. It is served in a small cup made for coffee called finjan (فنجان). A cup of coffee Workers sorting and pulping coffee beans in Guatemala Mature coffee fruit still on the plant Coffee is a widely consumed beverage prepared from the roasted seeds — commonly referred to as beans — of the coffee plant. ...

The traditional Sheesha (hookah), containing sweetened and often flavored tobacco, is smoked by many Bahrainis. The sheesha is served in most open-air coffee shops, where local men can be seen whiling away time enjoying the sheesha, and sharing interesting conversation. Nowadays, members of the expatriate population are also found to smoke sheesha in the cafés. Man holding a narghile (hookah) A hookah is a traditional Middle Eastern or Asian device for smoking tobacco. ... This article is about a traditional smoking pipe. ...

Festivals, Customs & Rituals

Please help improve this article or section by expanding it. Further information might be found on the talk page or at requests for expansion. This article has been tagged since January 2007.

• Eid ul-Fitr and Eid ul-Adha
• Ramadan
• Ashoura
• Prophet's birthday
• Bahrain Independence Day
• Bahrain's National Day

Image File history File links This is a lossless scalable vector image. ... Eid ul-Fitr or Id-Ul-Fitr (Arabic: عيد الفطر ‘Īd al-Fiá¹­r), often abbreviated as simply Eid, is an Islamic holiday that marks the end of Ramadan, the month of fasting. ... Eid ul-Adha (Arabic: عيد الأضحى ‘Īd al-’Aḍḥā) occurs on the tenth day of the Islamic month of Dhul Hijja. ... The fourth pillar of Islam, which is fasting, is practiced during the month of Ramadan. ... The Day of Aashurah, sometimes spelled ‘Ashurah or Aashoorah, falls on the 10th day of Muharram in the Islamic calendar. ... Milad, Milad an-Nabi or Mawlid un-Nabi (Arabic: ) is the celebration of the birthday of Muhammad, which muslims believe is the final prophet sent by ALLAH to the Earth; also known as The Seal of the Prophets. Shia and many Sunni Muslims celebrate the Mawlid. ... Bahrain Independence Day is on August 15th. ...

Places

A View of Al Fateh Grand Mosque Inside Al Fateh Mosque Al Fateh Mosque (also known as Al Fateh Islamic Centre/Grand Mosque) (Arabic: مسجد الفاتح; transliterated: Masjid al-Fatih) is Bahrains largest mosque. ... Khamis Mosque, Bahrain The Khamis Mosque (Arabic: مسجد الخميس; transliterated: Masjid al-Khamys) is believed to be the first mosque in Bahrain, built during the era of the Umayyad caliph Umar II. The identical twin minarets of this ancient Islamic monument make it easily noticeable as one drives along the Shaikh Salman... A View of Arad Fort Arad Fort (Arabic: قلعة عراد; transliterated: Qalat Arad) is a 15th century fort in Arad, Bahrain. ... Bab Al Bahrain Bab Al Bahrain means Gate of Bahrain. Built by the British in the 1940s, Bab Al Bahrain once stood at the waters edge. ... Bab Al Bahrain Bab Al Bahrain means Gate of Bahrain. Built by the British in the 1940s, Bab Al Bahrain once stood at the waters edge. ... Bab Al Bahrain Bab Al Bahrain means Gate of Bahrain. Built by the British in the 1940s, Bab Al Bahrain once stood at the waters edge. ... Qalat al–Bahrain (also known as the Bahrain Fort or Portugese fort) is an archaeological site and historic fort located in Bahrain. ... The Bahrain Grand Prix (Arabic: جائزة البحرين الكبرى) is a Formula One Championship race which first took place at the Bahrain International Circuit on April 4, 2004. ... Since 1988 a rich collection of Bahrains ancient archaeological artifacts have been on display at the purpose-built Bahrain National Museum. ... Barbar temple is an archaeological site located in the village of Barbar, Bahrain. ... Beit Al Quran, Hoora Beit Al Quran (Arabic: بيت القرآن) means House of Quran in Arabic. ... The Dilmun Burial Mounds is a necropolis in Bahrain dating back to the Dilmun era. ... First Oil Well, Bahrain As its name suggests, it is the first oil well in the Gulf and is located in Bahrain. ... The view of the causeway from space The King Fahd Causeway (Arabic: جسر الملك فهد) is the combined bridging and viaduct connection between Khobar, Saudi Arabia and Bahrain settled on by a construction agreement signed on July 8, 1981. ... Riffa Fort at night Inside Riffa Fort Built in 1812, Riffa Fort (Arabic: قلعة الرفاع; transliterated: Qalat ar-Rifa) offers a splendid view across the Hunanaiya valley. ... Tree of Life, Bahrain The Tree of Life (Arabic: شجرة الحياة; transliterated: Shajarat al-Hayah) is a 400-year old mesquite tree in Bahrain which is considered a natural wonder. ...

See also

• Bahrain National Museum
• Cinema of Bahrain
• Music of Bahrain