Come house-hop with us through Bahrain’s culture and history.

Bin Matar House

Salman Bin Matar was a renowned pearl merchant and caring humanitarian. Originally built as his majlis, this house was constructed using traditional Bahraini building styles, such as how houses close to the sea would use stones taken from the reefs and bind them together using clay. The roofs were constructed from wood imported from Africa, date palm trunks and weaved palm leaves.

The building now houses an art gallery as well as a small pearl museum showcasing tools of the pearl trade and a brief history of the Bin Matar family.

Location: Sheikh Abdullah Bin Isa Ave, Muharraq
Tel: +973-17322549

Sheikh Isa bin Ali House

Located in Muharraq, this was once the official residence of Sheikh Isa bin Ali, ruler of Bahrain from 1869 – 1932. Walking distance from the Bin Matar House, you can see that the building enjoys much of the same traditional style and architecture. One very cool highlight is the wind tower (badqir) fitted with vertical air ducts that direct the wind from the outside, providing a clever and natural cooling system for the home and right into the majlis.

Location: Sheikh Abdullah bin Isa Ave, Muharraq
Tel: +973-17293820

Al Jasra House (Beit Al Jasra)

Al Jasra House was a private residence of Shaikh Salman, ruler of Bahrain from 1942 – 1961. The rooms maintain the original and persevered furnishings and they surround a large courtyard which had a wooden platform (known as a seyam) that residents would sleep on during the hot summer months.

Location: Mazarea Hwy, Al Jasra
Tel: +973-17611454

Al Jasra Handicraft Centre

This two-floor center is home to many different types of traditional Bahraini craftsmanship. Be it the hammering of the chest maker, the spinning of the pottery maker, or the oud-strumming of the musical instrument maker, visitors can watch artisans as they hone their craft, interact with them and even purchase some of their skillfully created items.

Location: Rd. No. 315, Al Jasra
Tel: +973-17611900

Beit Al Quran

Beit Al Quran is an Islamic museum that houses various types of Islamic arts, from stone-etched calligraphy to carefully crafted Qur’anic manuscripts from throughout the Islamic empire across the centuries. It’s a marvel to see the shifts in typographies from age to age and the unique styles of each region.

Location: Rd. No. 1901, Diplomatic Area, Manama
Tel: +973-17290404