Bahrain Authority
for Culture and Antiquities

Pearling Path


It is the origin story that encompasses every landscape and image; More than 7,000 years ago in the Muharraq's Old City, the features of economic and social life were shaped by the ancient pearl trade which flourished and formed the heart of this historical tale and forged the Gulf's cultural identity. In 2021, the Bahrain Authority for Culture and Antiquities celebrates the rich and deep-rooted characteristics of the pearl-based economy through the Pearling Path, Bahrain’s second UNESCO World Heritage Site. Personifying an entire historical chapter of Arabian Gulf, the site’s economic importance on the global stage created a lasting legacy that is still visibly evident in contemporary Bahraini and Gulf identity.