The white gate
Golden arms.
Diego Delso — CC BY-SA 4.0 · Zairon — CC BY-SA 4.0 · Zairon — CC BY-SA 4.0 · Zairon — CC BY-SA 4.0 · Zairon — CC BY-SA 4.0 · Zairon — CC BY-SA 4.0 · Shibu Parambil Varghese — CC BY-SA 4.0 · Fred Hsu — CC BY 2.0
A white historic gateway on Customs Square in central Manama, the main entrance to the old Manama Souq. It opened in 1949 to a design by the British adviser Charles Belgrave and once stood on the seafront, before land reclamation left it several kilometres inland. The golden arms of Bahrain crown its great arch, its façade is lit at night, and its square is considered the region's first formal public space. The gateway was restored in 1986. Behind it spread the lanes of the Manama Souq, with spices, perfumes, fabrics, gold and Bahraini sweets, colourful hanging lanterns and old cafés, and old houses and mosques along its edges. Wandering is free. The souq is at its best in the evening, when it's cooler and the shops light up; some shops close in the early afternoon. The waterfront and Bahrain Financial Harbour are an easy walk away.
Golden arms.
And lanterns.
Bahraini style.
Customs Square, Government Avenue, Manama
Spices, perfumes, fabrics, gold and Bahraini halwa, along with lanterns and souvenirs; evenings are the best time.