Memories of Muharraq

Under the Patronage of His Majesty King Hamad Bin Isa Al Khalifa, the King of the Kingdom of Bahrain, the 26th Annual Bahrain Heritage Festival commemorates an important cultural event, highlighting the diverse heritage of our lands from the tradition of the sea, desert, and agriculture to crafts and art. This is a multilayered experience with two main goals; one is the preservation of our customs and traditions, the second is to build on it, using new innovative and creative approaches.

The two-sided play between old and new shapes itself effortlessly through the location chosen for this festival. The historic site at Arad Fort, which is in close proximity to the heritage village, hosts a variety of vendors and local crafts.  Here the setting takes you back to old Bahrain, allowing you to experience it while enjoying what is on display. A selection of crafts modernized and rebranded. New innovative themes of merchandise that take inspiration from our rich culture, young talents and new businesses have a lively platform to share and sell their products.  Walking around the fort and through the walkways of the heritage village, your senses are drawn to experience local traditional foods.  Women that greet you with a warm smile, and a welcoming hello with a delicious freshly fried sweet cake that smells of saffron and cardamom. The warmth of this Bahraini special cake and the women’s pride in serving it to you is a heartwarming experienced not to be missed.

The display inside the tent facing the fort has a completely different vibe. There is a play with a very minimalist structure mapping the route of audiences. Many more craftsmen can be seen working on a variety of crafts, here there is an open line between them and the audiences to answer questions and interact with everyone walking by.  I have a great deal of respect to those who have stayed loyal to the skill passed from one generation to the next. It is imperative to give them a space to shine and to share and to develop, and this is one of the main goals of the Heritage
Festival.  

Walking through, you can explore an interesting pop-up exhibition: 100 Faces of Muharraq, by a talented young Bahraini artist Ebrahim Khalifa. Ebrahim shows great skill and through his sensitive and soft strokes that mark the faces of many people who have contributed in various aspects of life.  It’s a walk down memory lane to identify these faces and map a story that is unique to Bahrain. Of course, there are others that played an equally important role in our culture.  In this display, we revive our memory of a nation’s development through various walks of life. 

Among extensive workshop programs targeting our young audiences, daily music concerts, and lecture series can be visited throughout the festival.  The festival welcomes everyone daily from 5:00 pm to 9:30 until the fifth of May.