The Diraz Temple (also referred to as Duraz Temple, Maabet al Diraz, Daraz Temple, ) is located on the side of Budaiya Highway, in the village of
Diraz
Diraz,( ar, الدراز, also spelled Duraz) is the biggest and most populated village on the northwest coast of Bahrain. It lies to the east of Budaiya, west of Barbar and north of Bani Jamra. Two Dilmun era archaeological sites, namely Diraz ...
in
Bahrain
Bahrain ( ; ; ar, البحرين, al-Bahrayn, locally ), officially the Kingdom of Bahrain, ' is an island country in Western Asia. It is situated on the Persian Gulf, and comprises a small archipelago made up of 50 natural islands and an ...
. No concrete evidence has been found to determine which god(s) the temple was dedicated for.
The architectural characteristics are unique not only in Bahrain (see
Barbar Temple for comparison), but also when compared to
Mesopotamian or
Indus Valley temple sites from a similar era.
History
Diraz Temple dates to circa 3rd millennium BCE based on the recovered artifacts from the site among which are a snake vessel, Barbar potteries, and two
Dilmun
Dilmun, or Telmun, ( Sumerian: , later 𒉌𒌇(𒆠), ni.tukki = DILMUNki; ar, دلمون) was an ancient East Semitic-speaking civilization in Eastern Arabia mentioned from the 3rd millennium BC onwards.
Based on contextual evidence, it was ...
seals with animal figures.
The site was excavated by the British Archaeological Mission in cooperation with the Directorate of Archaeology in the 1970s.
Archaeological remains
The temple was carried by the cylindrical columns with the diameter of 120 cm. The 60 cm high remains of the columns are placed 2 to 3 m apart from each other. In between them stands a square base which could be an altar or a statue base. In the middle of
cella
A cella (from Latin for small chamber) or naos (from the Greek ναός, "temple") is the inner chamber of an ancient Greek or Roman temple in classical antiquity. Its enclosure within walls has given rise to extended meanings, of a hermit's or ...
one can see the remains of a sacrificial altar and the remains of two other rooms with uncertain functions. To the West, a damaged grave dating to 2nd millennium BCE has been found with the remains of a human body.
See also
*
List of archaeological sites in Bahrain
There are multiple archaeological sites in Bahrain. Bahrain is an island country in the Persian Gulf consisting of a small archipelago centred around Bahrain Island. It is believed to be the location of the Dilmun civilisation, dating back to the ...
*
List of tourist attractions in Bahrain
A ''list'' is any set of items in a row. List or lists may also refer to:
People
* List (surname)
Organizations
* List College, an undergraduate division of the Jewish Theological Seminary of America
* SC Germania List, German rugby unio ...
*
Culture of Bahrain
The culture of Bahrain is part of the historical region of Eastern Arabia. Thus, Bahrain's culture is similar to that of its Arab neighbours in the Persian Gulf region. Bahrain is known for its cosmopolitanism, Bahraini citizens are very ethnica ...
References
External links
Visit Bahrain Official Site, Diraz TempleTimeOut Dubai, 30 Historical Sites in Bahrain
{{Archaeological sites in Bahrain
Ancient Near East temples
Archaeological sites in Bahrain
Buildings and structures completed in the 30th century BC
Tourism in Bahrain