The fort
Atop the mound.
Zairon — CC BY-SA 4.0 · Zairon — CC BY-SA 4.0 · Joel from Manama, Bahrain — CC BY 2.0 · Zairon — CC BY-SA 4.0 · Zairon — CC BY-SA 4.0 · Zairon — CC BY-SA 4.0 · Diego Delso — CC BY-SA 4.0 · Prof. Mortel — CC BY 2.0
An archaeological site on the north coast of Bahrain Island, rising on a 12-metre artificial mound built up by seven layers of settlement, from about 2300 BC to the eighteenth century, making it the oldest fortification in the Gulf. It became a UNESCO World Heritage Site in 2005. It was the capital of the Dilmun civilisation, the trading hub that linked Mesopotamia with the Indus Valley more than four thousand years ago, followed by Kassite, Greek, Tylos and Islamic periods. The fort you see on top dates from the sixteenth century, the site's uppermost layer, with walls, towers, arched passages and a moat. Around it lie the remains of old houses and streets uncovered by excavations since 1954. Walking the fort is free, per visitor guides, and the site museum next door charges a small fee; there is also a café facing the sea. Come just before sunset, when the walls glow gold.
Atop the mound.
Beneath the walls.
And seaside café.
Karbabad, north coast, about 6 km west of Manama
Walking the fort is free, per visitor guides; the site museum next door charges a small fee and closes on Mondays.