Bahrain National Museum
Encyclopedia
The Bahrain National Museum (also referred to as National Museum of Bahrain) is the largest and one of the oldest museum
s in Bahrain
. It is constructed near the King Faisal Highway in Manama
and opened in December 1988. The museum complex covers 27,800 sq meters and consists of two buildings. The museum possesses a rich collection of Bahrain
's ancient archaeology
ical artefacts acquired since 1988, and covers 6000 years of Bahrain's history
. This US$
30 million complex includes three halls devoted to archaeology and the ancient civilisation of the Dilmun
, while two other halls depict the culture
and lifestyle of Bahrain's recent pre-industrial past.
In 1993 a further hall was opened, the Natural History Hall, focusing on the natural environment of Bahrain. This hall features specimens of Bahrain's flora
and fauna
. Among the exhibits in the ancient history section is an actual burial mound
which was transported from its site in the desert and reassembled in the museum. Another feature is a tableau
which depicts a scene from the Epic of Gilgamesh
(in which reference to Bahrain is made as the paradise of Dilmun
).
Old Quranic manuscripts, notes on astronomy
and historical documents and letters are exhibited in the Documents and Manuscripts Hall. The building was designed by KHR Arkitekter
of Denmark.
Museum
A museum is an institution that cares for a collection of artifacts and other objects of scientific, artistic, cultural, or historical importance and makes them available for public viewing through exhibits that may be permanent or temporary. Most large museums are located in major cities...
s in Bahrain
Bahrain
' , officially the Kingdom of Bahrain , is a small island state near the western shores of the Persian Gulf. It is ruled by the Al Khalifa royal family. The population in 2010 stood at 1,214,705, including 235,108 non-nationals. Formerly an emirate, Bahrain was declared a kingdom in 2002.Bahrain is...
. It is constructed near the King Faisal Highway in Manama
Manama
Manama is the capital and largest city of Bahrain, with an approximate population of 155,000 people.Long an important trading center in the Persian Gulf, Manama is home to a very diverse population...
and opened in December 1988. The museum complex covers 27,800 sq meters and consists of two buildings. The museum possesses a rich collection of Bahrain
Bahrain
' , officially the Kingdom of Bahrain , is a small island state near the western shores of the Persian Gulf. It is ruled by the Al Khalifa royal family. The population in 2010 stood at 1,214,705, including 235,108 non-nationals. Formerly an emirate, Bahrain was declared a kingdom in 2002.Bahrain is...
's ancient archaeology
Archaeology
Archaeology, or archeology , is the study of human society, primarily through the recovery and analysis of the material culture and environmental data that they have left behind, which includes artifacts, architecture, biofacts and cultural landscapes...
ical artefacts acquired since 1988, and covers 6000 years of Bahrain's history
History of Bahrain
Bahrain is a island country in the Persian Gulf. Although Bahrain became an independent country in 1971, the history of these islands starts from ancient times...
. This US$
United States dollar
The United States dollar , also referred to as the American dollar, is the official currency of the United States of America. It is divided into 100 smaller units called cents or pennies....
30 million complex includes three halls devoted to archaeology and the ancient civilisation of the Dilmun
Dilmun
Dilmun or Telmun is a land mentioned by Mesopotamian civilizations as a trade partner, a source of the metal copper, and an entrepôt of the Mesopotamia-to-Indus Valley Civilization trade route...
, while two other halls depict the culture
Culture of Bahrain
-People & Heritage:Just around half of the population are Arabs, and most are native-born Bahrainis, but only a minority of them are Omanis, or Saudis. Foreign-born inhabitants, comprising more than half of the population, are mostly from Iran, India, Pakistan, Philippines, Britain, and the United...
and lifestyle of Bahrain's recent pre-industrial past.
In 1993 a further hall was opened, the Natural History Hall, focusing on the natural environment of Bahrain. This hall features specimens of Bahrain's flora
Flora
Flora is the plant life occurring in a particular region or time, generally the naturally occurring or indigenous—native plant life. The corresponding term for animals is fauna.-Etymology:...
and fauna
Fauna
Fauna or faunæ is all of the animal life of any particular region or time. The corresponding term for plants is flora.Zoologists and paleontologists use fauna to refer to a typical collection of animals found in a specific time or place, e.g. the "Sonoran Desert fauna" or the "Burgess shale fauna"...
. Among the exhibits in the ancient history section is an actual burial mound
Dilmun Burial Mounds
The Dilmun Burial Mounds is a necropolis in Bahrain dating back to the Dilmun era.A Danish group was excavating the capital city of the Bronze Age when they opened some tumuli and discovered items dating to around 4100 - 3700 BP of the same culture...
which was transported from its site in the desert and reassembled in the museum. Another feature is a tableau
Tableau vivant
Tableau vivant is French for "living picture." The term describes a striking group of suitably costumed actors or artist's models, carefully posed and often theatrically lit. Throughout the duration of the display, the people shown do not speak or move...
which depicts a scene from the Epic of Gilgamesh
Epic of Gilgamesh
Epic of Gilgamesh is an epic poem from Mesopotamia and is among the earliest known works of literature. Scholars believe that it originated as a series of Sumerian legends and poems about the protagonist of the story, Gilgamesh king of Uruk, which were fashioned into a longer Akkadian epic much...
(in which reference to Bahrain is made as the paradise of Dilmun
Dilmun
Dilmun or Telmun is a land mentioned by Mesopotamian civilizations as a trade partner, a source of the metal copper, and an entrepôt of the Mesopotamia-to-Indus Valley Civilization trade route...
).
Old Quranic manuscripts, notes on astronomy
Astronomy
Astronomy is a natural science that deals with the study of celestial objects and phenomena that originate outside the atmosphere of Earth...
and historical documents and letters are exhibited in the Documents and Manuscripts Hall. The building was designed by KHR Arkitekter
KHR Arkitekter
KHR Arkitekter A/S, formerly known as KHRAS, is a Danish architecture company founded as Krohn & Hartvig Rasmussen in 1946. The company was founded by Gunnar Krohn and E. Hartvig Rasmussen. During the 1960s, the company started focusing on European styles applied to public buildings in Denmark...
of Denmark.
See also
- Beit Al Qur'anBeit Al Qur'anBeit Al Qur'an is an Islamic museum at Hoora, Bahrain. The museum was built to accommodate a comprehensive and valuable collection of the Qur'an and rare manuscripts, a concept which is unique in the Persian Gulf...
- History of BahrainHistory of BahrainBahrain is a island country in the Persian Gulf. Although Bahrain became an independent country in 1971, the history of these islands starts from ancient times...
- Tourism in BahrainTourism in BahrainBahrain receives two million tourists a year. Most visitors are from Arab states of the Persian Gulf but there are an increasing number of tourists from outside the region....
- List of tourist attractions in Bahrain
External links
- Official government website
- Photographs of Bahrain National Museum on FlickrFlickrFlickr is an image hosting and video hosting website, web services suite, and online community that was created by Ludicorp in 2004 and acquired by Yahoo! in 2005. In addition to being a popular website for users to share and embed personal photographs, the service is widely used by bloggers to...