Barbar temple
Encyclopedia
The Barbar Temple is an archaeological site located in the village of Barbar
, Bahrain
, and considered to be part of the Dilmun
culture. The most recent of the three Barbar temples was rediscovered by a Danish
archaeological team in 1954. A further two temples were discovered on the site with the oldest dating back to 3000 BC. The temples were built of limestone
blocks, believed to have been carved out from Jidda Island
.
It’s thought that the temples were constructed to worship the god Enki
, the god of wisdom and freshwater, and his wife Nankhur Sak (Ninhursag
). The temple contains two altars and a natural water spring that is thought to have held spiritual significance for the worshipers. During the excavation of the site many tools, weapons, pottery and small pieces of gold were found which are now on display in the Bahrain National Museum
. The most famous find was a bronze bulls head
The site is on the tentative list of UNESCO World Heritage
led by Hellmuth Andersen and Peder Mortensen, began that year and
extended until 1962.
Work at the site resumed in 2004.
Barbar, Bahrain
Barbar is a village in the north of Bahrain. It lies between Diraz and Jannusan. It is a predominantly Shia Bahrani village. The Dilmun era Barbar Temple is located near the village....
, 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...
, and considered to be part 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...
culture. The most recent of the three Barbar temples was rediscovered by a Danish
Denmark
Denmark is a Scandinavian country in Northern Europe. The countries of Denmark and Greenland, as well as the Faroe Islands, constitute the Kingdom of Denmark . It is the southernmost of the Nordic countries, southwest of Sweden and south of Norway, and bordered to the south by Germany. Denmark...
archaeological team in 1954. A further two temples were discovered on the site with the oldest dating back to 3000 BC. The temples were built of limestone
Limestone
Limestone is a sedimentary rock composed largely of the minerals calcite and aragonite, which are different crystal forms of calcium carbonate . Many limestones are composed from skeletal fragments of marine organisms such as coral or foraminifera....
blocks, believed to have been carved out from Jidda Island
Jidda Island
Jidda Island is an islet in Bahrain. It lies to the west of Bahrain Island and just north of Umm an Nasan in Persian Gulf. It is connected to Umm an Nasan by a short causeway.Jidda used to be the location of one of Bahrain's prisons...
.
History
The three temples were built atop one another with the second built approximately 500 years later and the third added between 2100BC and 2000BC.It’s thought that the temples were constructed to worship the god Enki
Enki
Enki is a god in Sumerian mythology, later known as Ea in Akkadian and Babylonian mythology. He was originally patron god of the city of Eridu, but later the influence of his cult spread throughout Mesopotamia and to the Canaanites, Hittites and Hurrians...
, the god of wisdom and freshwater, and his wife Nankhur Sak (Ninhursag
Ninhursag
In Sumerian mythology, Ninhursag or Ninkharsag was the earth and mother goddess, one of the seven great deities of Sumer. She is principally a fertility goddess. Temple hymn sources identify her as the 'true and great lady of heaven' and kings of Sumer were 'nourished by Ninhursag's milk'...
). The temple contains two altars and a natural water spring that is thought to have held spiritual significance for the worshipers. During the excavation of the site many tools, weapons, pottery and small pieces of gold were found which are now on display in the Bahrain National Museum
Bahrain National Museum
The Bahrain National Museum is the largest and one of the oldest museums 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 most famous find was a bronze bulls head
The site is on the tentative list of UNESCO World Heritage
Archaeology
The site was discovered by P.V. Glob in 1954. Excavations, by a Danish teamled by Hellmuth Andersen and Peder Mortensen, began that year and
extended until 1962.
Work at the site resumed in 2004.
See also
- List of tourist attractions in Bahrain
- Culture of BahrainCulture 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...
- Cities of the ancient Near EastCities of the ancient Near EastThe largest cities in the Bronze Age ancient Near East housed several tens of thousands. Memphis in the Early Bronze Age with some 30,000 inhabitants was the largest city of the time by far...
- Qal'at al-BahrainQal'at al-BahrainThe Qal'at al-Bahrain The Qal'at al-Bahrain The Qal'at al-Bahrain (in , also known as the Bahrain Fort or Fort of Bahrain and previously as the Portugal Fort (Qal'at al Portugal) is an archaeological site located in Bahrain...