Bahrain’s cultural sector fruitful throughout the year

Bahrain witnesses cultural seasons throughout the year, always blooming with creative works and accomplishments. In April 2024, the Bahraini cultural heritage was carried anew toward the international stage, where Siyadi Pearl Museum (in Al-Muharraq) earned an international title as a top museum, as designated by the journal Monocle. Siyadi Pearl Museum was chosen from among 50 contesting landmarks due to its unique architecture and the precious value of its contents. Bahrain Authority for Culture and Antiquities has said the honoring of the musuem is actually an honoring for architectural exquisiteness and cultural values of the displayed items and relics. It also mirrors the authority's commitment to pursue the march of preserving Bahrain's history, heritage and culture and boosting its status as a hub for preserving and renovating the antiquities, amid the country's sustainable development. The pearls museum, designed by the Dutch architect Holtrop, boasts some of the country's old treasures dating ba ck to the Dilmun and Tylos times. It also displays a collection of the Mattar Jewelers' gems and Al-Mahmoud Pearls in addition to archival documents about Cartier pearls. As to the Siyadi Majlis, it is also an icon of the Bahraini unique architecture with delicate ornamentations and engravings. The four-story building was constructed in 1859 to be a gathering place for pearl traders. The Pearl Path was listed by UNESCO as one of the international human heritage in 2012. It encompasses three ancient sites, in addition to the old fortress and cemeteries. It is a vast site encompassing a chain of historic buildings in addition to wide pearl diving spots, "al-hirat," in the northern territorial waters. The Bahrainis had made their living on collecting pearls for centuries before the oil boom in the 30s. Source: Kuwait News Agency