Bahrain’s postal services history dates as far back as 1884. The latter was marked by the opening of its first facility in Manama. The Bureau, managed by a superintendent and a postman, was housed in the residence of the assistant to the British political agent in Bahrain. The Bureau served as a sub-office of the Indian Post Office in Bombay (Mumbai), which administered the country’s postal services at that time. In the 1940ies, the Manama post office relocated to the old government building in Bab Al-Bahrain. In 1947, the post office was transferred to the customs building opposite of Bab Al-Bahrain and is still in use today.
In 2015, the Bahrain Authority for Culture and Antiquities installed a permanent exhibition in the old government building in Bab Al-Bahrain. Designed by Ammar Basheir, the display includes postage stamps, memorabilia and historic photographs that illustrate the history of postal services in Bahrain.
