Qal'at al-Bahrain

 Qal`at al-Bahrain is an archaeological site located in Bahrain. It is composed of an artificial mound created by human inhabitants from 2300 BC up to the 1700's. Among other things, it was once the capital of the Dilmun civilization, and served more recently as a Portuguese fort. For these reasons, it was inscribed as a UNESCO World Heritage Site in 2005.Qal`at al-Bahrain is a typical tell – an artificial mound created by many successive layers of human occupation. The strata of the 300x600-metre tell testify to continuous human presence from about 2300 B.C. to the 16th century A.D. About 25% of the site has been excavated revealing structures of different types: residential, public, commercial, religious and military. They testify to the importance of the site as a trading port over the centuries. On the top of the 12m high mound, there is the impressive Qal`at al-Burtughal (Portuguese fort), which gave the whole site its name, qal`a, meaning fort. The site was the capital of the Dilmun, one of the most important ancient civilizations of the region. It contains the richest remains inventoried of this civilization, which was hitherto only known from written Sumerian referencesAs the capital of the ancient Dilmun Civilization, the Qal'at Al-Bahrain site represents not only one of the most important ancient civilizations of the region, but also Bahrain's identity as a center of commerce and cultural exchange.An Islamic fort dating back to the 16th century A.D. dominates the site and may be the location of the old capital of Delmon. It contains remains of cities which were inhabited during many periods, 4000- 5000 years ago. The study of these remains form the foundation of Bahrain's history that has played such a prominent role in Arabian Gulf archaeology.Excavations by the Danish archaeological expedition have unveiled the remains of buildings of six cities located around the fort.First City:Built near the sea, the houses of the first city were small and apparently without walls. No signs of this city can be traced now because the new huge buildings of the second city have covered it. It seems that it was built at the beginning of the third millennium B.C., about 2800 B.C.Second City:A city surrounded with huge wall that can be seen in the excavations at three sites around the mound is located on the northwest side of the fort. It is 100 yards from the coast and 100 feet from the northern perimeter, where the stones, which were extracted during a late period, have disappeared. Many parts of the internal front of the wall are still intact. The opening for the city's gate can be seen at the eastern end.It is possible that the second city was built immediately after the destruction of the first city around 2300 B.C. and survived for about 500 years. This is the city of the builders of thousands of burial mounds located in the middle of the island.Third City:It was probably built during the period 1700- 1200 B.C. It is the best preserved city as shown by excavations and can be seen immediately to the south of the Portuguese Fort, where foundations for walls of a large rectangular building were erected below the level of higher buildings belonging to the fourth city.Forth City:It is situated within the same excavations and its ruins appear more prominent than the others. It has a unique gate which is still in existence at height of more than 10 feet. These ruins are contemporary with the Assyrian Empire, about 900- 600 B.C.Fifth City:Its ruins are few and a number of its houses can be seen on the western perimeter and outside the northern perimeter. It was built during the time of Alexander the Great and his successors (about 300 B.C.). The discovery of Greek pottery and terracotta suggest that commercial relationships existed with Greece throughout the period of Roman Empire.Sixth City: (1100- 1400 A.D.)The most important ruin of this city is a small walled palace situated to the north of the second city's perimeter alongside the beach. It is a square structure constructed around a paved courtyard.Working Hours Days Time From Saturday to Friday8:00 am - 8:00 pm