Disembark and depart for a Full-day tour of Bahrain at 0845. Our first stop of the day will be the Ahmed Al Fateh Grand Mosque. Set against the backdrop of palm trees and the sea, the Grand Mosque strikes a beautiful picture. With its exquisite Bahraini architecture, crowned by the world's largest fiberglass dome and blessed with tranquility reserved for the holiest of holy places, The Grand Mosque truly lives up to its name. Though non-Muslim visitors are welcome, it is important to dress modestly, cover your head (for women) and take your shoes off before entering. After the visit to the Grand Mosque the tour will continue to the Bahrain National Museum, situated on the intersection of the Muharraq Causeway and King Faisal Highway, it houses a wonderful collection of exhibits, from contemporary Bahraini paintings, sculptures and ceramics to scenes depicting life in the Dilmun civilization of 6000 years ago and even a reconstructed burial mound, complete with skeleton! A section on Arabic calligraphy, including a beautiful display of illuminated Qur'ans and other religious documents, is breathtaking, and of course no visit would be complete without a closer look at traditional trades and crafts, which are cleverly displayed in a reconstruction of a typical souq of the 1930s. There are also photographs and models of pearl exhibitions and artifacts to represent the former source of Bahrain's wealth before the advent of oil. Many, many more exhibits add up to a memorable experience, and a deeper understanding of the fascinating history of the Island. The last stop before the lunch will be Shaikh Isa Bin Ali House which was constructed by Shaikh Hassan Bin Abdulla Bin Ahmed Al-Fatih and was used by Shaikh Isa Bin Ali as his residence and center of Government from 1869 - 1932. The house consists of four main sections: the family wing, the Shaikh's wing, the Guest's wing and the attendant's wing. The house is designed in traditional style where the rooms are directly overlooking an open courtyard, with a wind tower, a feature of the traditional architecture in the Arabian Gulf region. The house represents the 19th century construction style in which local building materials were used. Such materials included coral stone, mortar and palm tree trunks. The windows are decorated in ventilated gypsum geometrical designs for which Bahrain was well known. After visiting the Old House lets walk to the Raazji Local Arabic Restaurant for lunch (Walk passing the old Muharraq Houses) After the Lunch lets Drive to the Bahrain Bay for a photostop at Manama World Trade Center (also called Bahrain WTC or BWTC) is a 240-metre-high (787 ft), 50-floor, twin tower complex located in Manama. The towers were built in 2008 by the multi-national architectural firm Atkins. It is the first skyscraper in the world to integrate wind turbines into its design. The wind turbines were developed, built and installed by Danish company Norwin A/S. It currently ranks as the second-tallest building in Bahrain, after the twin towers of the Bahrain Financial Harbour. The project has received several awards for sustainability, including:
1. The 2006 LEAF Award for Best Use of Technology within a Large Scheme.
2. The Arab Construction World for Sustainable Design Award.
The tour will continue to visit Bahrain Fort, The Fort is at a distance of nearly 12 kilometers from the city of Manama and is situated at Karbabad. The Portuguese built the Fort in 1522 on the ruins of an earlier small fort built by the people of Bahrain. The Portuguese added the high walls, the huge square towers and a surrounding moat which is still visible to visitors. The Bahrain Fort occupies a strategic military position where the navigation movement could be watched. Excavations have revealed ancient soldier's barracks, horse stables, an ammunition depot, a secret passageway, ceramic utensils and Islamic and Chinese currency coins.Our Next visit the Ancient Burial Mounds, Bahrain has probably the largest pre-historic cemetery in the world. There is an estimated 170,000 burrial mounds dating back to between 3000 BC and 600 AD. Each of these mounds covers a stone built chamber which formed the grave. Many of these are intact today, many having been looted way back in the past or destroyed over the years. The best preserved of the mounds can be seen at A'ali village. The mounds continue to both mystify and teach historians and archaeologists. Last place in the itinerary is A visit to Bahrain will be incomplete without shopping in the souq (market). The Souq of Manama - traditional and most modern articles are offered in shops located in the narrow streets of the souq. The traditional Bahraini Halwa (confectionary) fresh spices & nuts, textiles and coffee shops are the attractions here. At a distance of only a few minutes, the glittering gold articles in the Gold Centre will dazzle you, where modern and traditional designs ornamented with famous Bahraini pearls are displayed. The workmanship, quality and range of designs are bound to take your breath away. Bahrain is known as the Pearl of Gulf and renowned for centuries for the finest quality pearls. Bahrain also offers you the chance to purchase good Persian carpets, take your time in picking up a good piece and make sure you haggle on prices. Good handicrafts are on sale at the tourist office located at Bab-Al- Bahrain, which has variuos items on display such as handicrafts and souvounirs of Bahrain origin. After the exciting day the tour will head back and reach the port at 1710 hours.
