Media Center

The curtain has fallen on the 26th edition of the National Heritage Festival on 5 May 2018. The Bahrain Authority for Culture & Antiquities (BACA) held the event at the vicinity of the iconic Arad Fort in the city of Muharraq over ten-days, attracting more than 35,000 visitors. Worth to mention that the 26th Bahrain Annual Heritage Festival kicked off on 25 April 2018, under the Patronage of His Majesty King Hamad Bin Isa Al-Khalifa, May God Protect Him. The closing ceremony was attended by H.E Shaikha Hala Bint Mohammad Al-Khalifa, Director General of Culture & Arts Directorate at BACA. Bahrain Authority for Culture & Antiquities has dedicated this year’s festival them to the “Memory of Muharraq”, shedding light on its rich cultural heritage belong to the all mankind, given universal value and importance and celebrating Bahraini long-standing heritage and Muharraq legacy in the fields of culture, literature, arts and sports.

This year’s edition of the National Heritage Festival coincided with the 2018 Muharraq Capital of Islamic Culture. The 26th Bahrain Annual Heritage Festival will showcase this year a number of popular handicrafts related to pearling and palm trees, traditional clothing and other famous historical Bahraini crafts and traditional industries. Kurar embroidery, which produces beautiful ribbons of gold zeri, silver zeri and briesam made by hand and used to decorate clothing, Al Naqda embroidery, Arabic for the measuring unit of silver weight features mostly in thoubs worn by women, bukhnaqs, and scarves, has a hammered appearance achieved by the khoos strands used to create the designs, Thob al Nashel embroidery crafts, textile, sword- making industry, pottery, gold, rosary beads, tawwash ( pearl merchant), ships ( Galafa), ropes, gargoor ( fish boxes), pearl oyster shells opening, carpentry, “Sanadeeg Mubayata” or traditional chests making, and gypsum carving. The festival offers visitors a chance to see some of Bahrain's finest craftsmen at work, including basket-weaving, musical instruments' making, jewelry, iron, wood, embroidered and crocheted goods as well as highly artistic Arabic calligraphy as well as and making different shapes out of palm tree branch leaves.
A number of art exhibitions were showcased this during the 26th Bahrain Annual Heritage Festival, such artist Ebrahim Khalifa’s 100 portraits of important and major figures who have had a significant role in glorious history of Muharraq and contributed hugely to its development. In another corner of the Arab Fort tent, there will be “Muharraq Doors” exhibition, showcasing a number of old doors of Muharraq historical houses, which are part of Bahrain National Museum’s acquisitions. The stand also highlights and mentions those who reacted positively with BACA’s “ Muharraq Doors” initiative launched with social media networks earlier on. The third exhibition to be showcased is by Shaikha Hanan bint Hassan Al Khalifa, featuring photos taken between 1992-2002, documenting the architectural style and beauty of a series of buildings unique to Muharraq city. The fourth exhibition to be hosted by the heritage festival is Bahraini women special and exceptional clothing pieces, which are also part of part of Bahrain National Museum’s acquisitions.

The 26th Bahrain Annual Heritage Festival has also dedicated a space for culture lovers by planning documentary films screening as part of the “ Oral History” project, an initiative taken by Culture Authority to rehabilitate and revive special and prominent elements of Bahraini culture and its rich heritage. These documentary films showcased personal interviews by pioneers national prominent figures who made very important contributions in culture, heritage, music and arts.

This year’s edition also offered a popular public market in the Heritage Village, with stands showcasing Bahraini products, such as coffee, dates, perfumes, water vaccine, fabrics, accessories, traditional sweets and other modern artistic Bahraini products. Other than tableaux of Bahraini folklore, the festival features theatrical works and specialized workshops. A balanced mixture of contemporary and traditional products at the souq which is surrounded by Bahraini cafes and offers the visitor to experience flavours of the Kingdom, as well as daily interactive activities, workshops, folk games, art exhibitions, and cafés offering famous Bahraini recipes inspired by traditional cuisine. Lovers of folk music very much appreciated music concerts presented by groups and bands, such as Dar Bin Harban, Mohammad Bin Faris Music Band, Al-Riffa Youth House, Dar Qalali, Ismael Dawes Music Band, Al-Hidd Youth House, Al-Riffa Little House, Sami al Malood Folk Band Music Group and Jassim Jamsheer Music Group
This year, the festival also featured different workshops suitable to for all ages to learn how write and paint on poetry, embroidery, palm tree branches recycling, al naqda, gypsum carving etc. Children had their lion’s share of workshops and educational programs, whereby the Children Corner will host workshops on creative skills, such as painting Muharraq with paper making using basic concepts in pulp and paper manufacturing, doors of Muharraq with collage, basics of photography, Origami art etc. the festival also presented daily puppet shows, named “ Badgeer Muharraq and Hazawi min Turath ( heritage tales).