Bab Al Bahrain (Arabic: باب البحرين, translitered Bāb al-Baḥrayn meaning Gateway of Bahrain) is a historical building located in the Customs Square in the central business district of Manama. It marks the main entrance to the Manama Souq.
| Bab Al Bahrain | |
|---|---|
باب البحرين | |
 | |
 | |
| Etymology | Gateway of Bahrain |
| General information | |
| Status | Completed |
| Type | Administrative |
| Location | Central Business District |
| Town or city | Manama |
| Country | Bahrain |
| Opened | 1949 |
| Website | |
| Official website | |
Opened in 1949 and designed by the British adviser to the emir, Charles Belgrave, Bab Al Bahrain once stood on the Manama coastline. Due to extensive land reclamation in the later half of the 20th century, the structure is now several kilometres inland.[1] The square is considered to be the region's first formal public space.[2]
Location
editThe building is situated on Government Avenue in Manama. It lies adjacent to the King Faisal Highway that leads to the causeway connecting the country to the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia. The Bahrain Financial Harbour and other landmarks are nearby.
History
editThe monument itself was refurbished in 1986 to incorporate Islamic architectural features.[citation needed] In 2013, a complete new refurbishment of the facade and the interiors was made, the ground floor now houses the tourist information office and a handicrafts shop. Today the monument essentially consists of a huge arch, below which runs a road, which is often referred to as the entrance to the Manama souq (marketplace) and 2 sides arches are made for pedestrian. The building hosts several shops and cafes, including Naseef Cafe which was the first ice cream shop in the country.[3]
Government Avenue, which runs in front of Bab Al Bahrain, contains many major banks and business establishments. Government Avenue is so named because the entire offices of the Bahrain government were once housed here.[citation needed] The Gold City (different from Gold Souq) is a shopping complex for gold ornaments and is also located on Government Avenue. The Indian jewellery retailer Alukkas has a branch in Gold City.[citation needed]
Bab al Bahrain is expected to serve as an interchange station for the 109km Bahrain Metro which is expected to be fully operational by 2030.[4]
See also
editReferences
edit- ^ The Middle East. Bahrain, Cyprus, Egypt. Greenwood Press. 2004. p. 5. ISBN 9780313329234. Retrieved 17 September 2019.
- ^ Arefian, Fatemeh (2019-09-10). Urban Heritage along the Silk Roads A Contemporary Reading of Urban Transformation of Historic Cities in the Middle East and Beyond. Springer Nature. p. 13. ISBN 9783030227623.
- ^ "Bab Al Bahrain". Ministry of Culture. Retrieved 18 September 2019.
- ^ "Metro on the right track". DT News. 24 August 2019. Retrieved 17 September 2019.