Bahrain National Museum, Manama (must see)

The Bahrain National Museum is a significant cultural institution in Bahrain that houses an extensive collection of artifacts representing the country's rich history and cultural heritage. It is situated in Manama, next to the National Theatre of Bahrain, and was officially opened in 1988 by the Emir of Bahrain, Isa bin Salman Al Khalifa.

The museum complex, which is the largest and oldest public museum in Bahrain, covers an area of 27,800 square meters and cost $30 million to construct. Designed by Danish architects Krohn & Hartvig Rasmussen, the museum features two buildings spanning a floor space of 20,000 square meters, six permanent exhibitions, an educational hall, a gift shop, a cafeteria, administrative offices, laboratories, and warehouses for the conservation of holdings and parking.

The museum's collection of artifacts covers around 5000 years of Bahrain's history and includes exhibits on archaeology, the ancient civilization of the Dilmun, Bahrain's recent pre-industrial past, and the natural history of Bahrain. The complex includes three halls devoted to archaeology, two halls dedicated to the culture and lifestyle of Bahrain's pre-industrial past, and a natural history hall that features specimens of Bahrain's flora and fauna.

The Bahrain National Museum is the most popular tourist attraction in Bahrain and is open from 10 am to 6 pm, except on Tuesdays. In addition to its regular exhibits, the museum also offers daytime boat trips to the Bu Maher Fort on Muharraq island, which is part of the Bahrain Pearling Trail.

The history of the Bahrain National Museum dates back to 1957 when the first exhibition of archaeological artifacts in Bahrain was held at the Hidaya Boys School in Muharraq. A cultural agreement was signed between UNESCO and the Bahraini government in 1967, which helped pave the way for the construction of a national museum. The first national museum was opened at Government House in Manama in 1970, and the current modern museum was opened in 1988. The museum celebrated its 25th anniversary in 2013 by renovating the Hall of Dilmun Graves and hosting an international conference on museum development.