Muharraq ( ar, المحرق, al-Muḥarraq) is
Bahrain's third largest city and served as its capital until 1932 when it was replaced by
Manama. The population of Muharraq in 2012 was 176,583.
The city is located on
Muharraq Island
Muharraq Island (), formerly known as Moharek, is the second largest island in the archipelago of Bahrain after Bahrain Island. It lies east of the capital, Manama, on Bahrain Island.
History
It is named after Muharraq City, the former capital ...
.
Bahrain International Airport is also located on the island. Adjacent to Muharraq are the man-made
Amwaj Islands, known for their large buildings, hotels and beaches. Muharraq is home to
Muharraq Club, which is Bahrain's most successful football club. It is home to the famous
Siyadi House
Siyadi House, also known as Bayt Siyadi (Arabic: بيت سيادي) is a historic building in Muharraq City, Kingdom of Bahrain. It is part of a larger complex of buildings constructed for the pearl merchant Abdullah bin Isa Siyadi, which further ...
. The city is also known for its
souq (traditional market) and as a home of traditional arts and music;
Ali Bahar
Ali Bahar ( ar, علي بحر; 1960 – 3 July 2011) was a Bahraini singer, guitarist and organ player known for his music band Al Ekhwa (Arabic: الإخوة, literal translation: The Brothers). He was nicknamed the "''Bob Marley of the Gulf''" ...
, a popular and successful Bahraini singer is from Muharraq.
History
Muharraq was originally part of
Dilmun, a
Semitic
Semitic most commonly refers to the Semitic languages, a name used since the 1770s to refer to the language family currently present in West Asia, North and East Africa, and Malta.
Semitic may also refer to:
Religions
* Abrahamic religions
** ...
speaking
Bronze Age polity. Later, it became the city of Arwad on the island of
Tylos (as Bahrain was referred to in antiquity), believed by some (including
Strabo
Strabo''Strabo'' (meaning "squinty", as in strabismus) was a term employed by the Romans for anyone whose eyes were distorted or deformed. The father of Pompey was called "Pompeius Strabo". A native of Sicily so clear-sighted that he could see ...
and
Herodotus) to be the birthplace of
Phoenicia. At the end of Persian rule, Bahrain came under the domination of the
Seleucid Greeks, and Muharraq was the centre of a pagan cult dedicated to the shark god,
Awal. The city's inhabitants, who depended upon
seafaring and trade for their livelihood, worshipped Awal in the form of a large statue of a shark located in the city.
By the 5th century AD, Muharraq had become a major centre of
Nestorian Christianity, which had come to dominate the southern shores of the
Persian Gulf. As a sect, the Nestorians were often persecuted as heretics by the
Byzantine Empire, but Bahrain was outside the Empire's control offering safety. The names of several of Muharraq's villages today reflect this Christian legacy, with Al-Dair meaning 'the monastery' and Qalali meaning a 'monk's cloisters'.
Taken by the
Portuguese (1521) and the
Persians (1602), Al-Muḥarraq passed to the control of the
Āl Khalīfah
The House of Khalifa ( ar, آل خليفة, translit=Āl Khalīfah) is the ruling family of the Kingdom of Bahrain. The Al Khalifas profess Sunni Islam and belong to the Anizah tribe, some members of this tribe joined the Utub alliance which mig ...
dynasty in 1783 with the rest of Bahrain.
Economy
Gulf Air has its headquarters in Muharraq, and
Bahrain Air
Bahrain Air ( ar, طيران البحرين) was an airline of the Kingdom of Bahrain, headquartered in the Mohamed Centre in Muharraq. Its main base was Bahrain International Airport. The airline flew to 16 destinations in the Middle East, Afri ...
formerly had its headquarters in the Mohamed Centre in Muharraq.
Government and infrastructure
Building 586 in Muharraq houses the headquarters of the
Civil Aviation Affairs The Civil Aviation Affairs ( ar, شئون الطيران المدني) is the civil aviation authority of the Kingdom of Bahrain, headquartered in Building 702 in Hidd on Muharraq island.[Ministry of Transportation
A ministry of transport or transportation is a ministry responsible for transportation within a country. It usually is administered by the ''minister for transport''. The term is also sometimes applied to the departments or other government ag ...]
.
Education
The
Ministry of Education of Bahrain operates public government schools.
Boys schools include Abu Farias Al-Hamdani Primary Boys School, Al-Maari Primary Boys School, Hassan bin Thabit Primary Boys School, Omer bin Abdulazeez Primary Boys School, Sheikh Mohammed bin Essa al-Khalifa Primary Boys School, Omer bin Al-Kattab Primary Intermediate Boys School, Abdul-Rahman Al-Nasser Intermediate Boys School, Tariq bin Zeyad Intermediate Boys School, and
Moharraq Secondary Boys School
Muharraq ( ar, المحرق, al-Muḥarraq) is Bahrain's third largest city and served as its capital until 1932 when it was replaced by Manama. The population of Muharraq in 2012 was 176,583.
The city is located on Muharraq Island. Bahrain Int ...
.
Girls schools include A'amena bint Wahab Primary Girls School, Al-Muharraq Primary Girls School, Mariam bent Omran Primary Girls School, Zubaida Primary Girls School, Istiklal, Khadija al-Kubra Intermediate Girls School, Zanoobia Intermediate Girls School, and
Muharraq Secondary Girls School
Muharraq ( ar, المحرق, al-Muḥarraq) is Bahrain's third largest city and served as its capital until 1932 when it was replaced by Manama. The population of Muharraq in 2012 was 176,583.
The city is located on Muharraq Island. Bahrain Int ...
.
The
French School of Bahrain
French (french: français(e), link=no) may refer to:
* Something of, from, or related to France
** French language, which originated in France, and its various dialects and accents
** French people, a nation and ethnic group identified with Franc ...
is located in
Busaiteen
Busaiteen ( ar, البسيتين) is a small town in northern Bahrain. It is located on Muharraq Island, just north of Muharraq City.
Etymology
The town's name, "''Busaiteen''," pertains to the large number of orchards found in it.
Education
Bus ...
, in Muharraq Municipality.
[French School Access Map]
"
Archive
. French School of Bahrain
French (french: français(e), link=no) may refer to:
* Something of, from, or related to France
** French language, which originated in France, and its various dialects and accents
** French people, a nation and ethnic group identified with Franc ...
. Retrieved on 23 April 2015.
Firjan (districts)
Firjan is the plural of the Arabic word ''Fareej'' which translates to district. The oldest and largest Fareej in Muharraq is Fareej Al Bin Ali. It was established by Sunni Arabs belonging to the
Al Bin Ali tribe in the 17th century and until recently, members of the tribe still lived in that Fareej.
Other Firjan in Muharraq include: Al Bu Khmais, Al-Gumra, Al-Zayayina, Al-Ma'awida, Bin Ghatim, Al-Jowder, Bin Hindi, Al-'Amamira, Al-Mahmeed, Al-Hayaj (or Al-Hayayej), Al-Sanqal, Al-Dosa, Al-Sagha, Sheikh Abdullah Sheikh Hamad, and Bin Khatir are all Sunni districts. Unlike Manama's firjans which are mostly Shia, Muharraq has fareejs which are mostly Sunni.
See also
*
Amwaj Islands, man-made islands near Al Muharraq.
*
Christianity in Eastern Arabia Christians reached the shores of the Persian Gulf by the beginning of the fourth century. According to the ''Chronicle of Seert'', Bishop David of Perat d'Maishan was present at the Council of Seleucia-Ctesiphon, around 325, and sailed as far as Ind ...
References
{{DEFAULTSORT:Muharraq
Populated places in Bahrain
Former municipalities (regions) of Bahrain