Bahrain National Museum is a modern, spacious museum (opened in 1988) with lots of interesting things to see, and well worth a couple of hours if you are in Bahrain. The entrance fee is only 500 fils (about 70p) and children are free. It is situated by the Muharraq Causeway (the Novotel is just up the road) on the King Faisal Highway. Be warned, there are a couple of other large stone buildings to the right of the museum which are actually a concert hall and art center, so make sure you go in the museum gates and not wander into the wrong place like we did! Also, do check the opening times (below) before going, as they don't do 9-5 in Bahrain. There is ample parking, with trees to shade your car if it is hot.
The front of museum is impressive, with lots of large stone statues and plants, and to the left on a little island is a recreation of an old Bahrain village, reached by crossing a bridge. You need to go inside and get your entrance ticket before visiting it though. The museum has a large foyer with various rooms of displays leading off it, and exhibits are displayed in English and Arabic. It is on two floors with a lift available if you need it. Our favourites were the Hall of Graves, which has a full-size recreation of a burial site as well as lots of interesting artefacts, and the Customs & Traditions area upstairs. This has a recreation of the old Souq with various shops, and lots of displays with life size models showing traditional life in Bahrain, including lots of pearl fishing, which has sadly disappeared. There are displays showing the Dilmun civilisation, the spread of Islam, Bahrain natural history and an art gallery. There is also a cafe, but every time we have visited the museum this has been shut, so don't bank on it being open! There's also a museum shop.
Opening hours are: SAT - SUN - TUES 8.00 AM - 2.00 PM MONDAY CLOSED WED AND THURS 8.00 AM - 2.00 PM AND 4.00 PM - 8.00 PM FRIDAY 3.00 PM - 8.00 PM ONLY
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