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BAHRAIN
Bahrain is an archipelago of 33 islands in the Arabian Gulf, situated between Saudi Arabia’s east coast and the Qatar peninsula. At the center of the island is the highest point, Jebel Dukhan. The majority of Bahrain’s oil wells are to be found in this area. The main island has the valuable asset of an adequate supply of fresh water, unique in the region, both on land and offshore. There are extensive date gardens to the north with irrigated vegetable and fruit gardens. The strategic 24km- (15 mile-) long King Fahad Causeway links Bahrain with Saudi Arabia.
The country was once named Dilmun by ancient Sumerians, considered an island paradise in which there was no disease, death or suffering, and where gods resided. Although modern Bahrain has not retained such mythical status, many still flock to frolic in its heavenly shoreline, and many still perceive the country as blissful respite from less lenient Islamic countries.
However, Bahrain is still imbued with Islamic tradition. Manama, the capital, is jam-packed with majestic mosques and minarets. Some females dress in western-style clothing but immodesty
is still frowned upon. It is a symbolic bridge that connects the archipelago to Saudi Arabia's mainland.
Regardless, visitors to Bahrain are more likely to want to revel in its antiquity, anyway. During construction of Bahrain's causeway, thousands of burial mounds were disinterred, dating back to the third millennium BC. Bahrain is now the proud owner of the largest ancient necropolis in the world, and its foundations still rest upon the ancient city of Dilmun and the ancient civilization that resided there.
It is exactly this blend of eastern and western cultures, this commingling of mosque and skyscraper, which draws so many to Bahrain. Perhaps its famous Tree of Life – a verdant tree blooming out of arid desert – says it all: Bahrain is full of surprises and contradictions.
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