Pearling Path Project
- Statue
- Ongoing
- Location
- Muharraq
- Sponsor
- Islamic Development Bank
The “Pearling path: Testimony of an Island Economy” is the second cultural landmark in Bahrain inscribed as a UNESCO World Heritage Site. The site was inscribed on the list in 2012, following the inscription of Qala’at Al-Bahrain in 2007.
The Pearling Path extends for about 3 kilometers, starting from the pearling sites (known locally as “hayrat”) near Bu Maher Fort which was built in 1840, to Siyadi House in the heart of Muharraq, which will serve as the main pearling museum.
The path takes visitors on a journey from the Bu Maher Fort visitor center, to Al-Ghous, House, Al-Jalahma House, Badr Ghulum House for folk medicine, Yousif Al-Alawi House, Fakhro House, Murad House and Majlis, some shops and storehouses (known locally as Amārat) in Suq Al-Qaisariyah such as Amārat Yousif Abdulrahman Fakhro and Rashid Fakhro, Nukhidhah (i.e. boat capital) House, and finally Siyadi House and Mosque.
The Pearling Path is a living open-air museum, documenting a particular period in the Kingdom’s history when its economy was dependent largely on pearling trades. In addition, the path also highlights the journey of the Bahraini pearl from seabed to international marketplaces.
Moreover, the path also weaves stories about the people who were involved in the pearling trade, from the tawwash (i.e. grand pearl merchant), the diver, nukhidha, seeb (i.e. person in charge of pulling divers up to the deck), and others, all while painting a picture of how life once was in Bahrain.
The Pearling Path is a reflection of the Bahraini people’s identity. Hence, the Bahrain Authority for Culture and Antiquities spared no effort to put in place the necessary legal frameworks and administrative plans to preserve and maintain the site for the benefit of the wider community and protect the rich heritage of Bahrain.
The inscription of the Pearling Path: Testimony of an Island Economy as a World Heritage Site occurred during the 36th World Heritage Council meeting in St. Petersburg in Russia after meeting the inscription requirements.
