19 July 2014
2nd Field Visit by H.E Minister of Culture and BCCI Delegation To Al Qaisariyah Market and Pearl Path
As part of her ongoing passion with preserving the historical fabric of the traditional places in Bahrain, H.E Shaihka Mai bint Mohammed Al Khalifa, Minister of Culture, has paid an inspection visit to the old Muharraq Suq and the site of Pearling, Testimony of an Island Economy, previously designated as a UNESCO World Heritage Site. The Minister of Culture was accompanied by Mr. Khalid Rashid Al-Zayani, Bahrain Chamber of Commerce & Industry Board Member and Head of Traditional Market Committee as they followed up on the latest developments on restoration projects planned for old markets with the stated goal of reviving the historical character of these places.
The field visit started by introducing the site, Pearling, Testimony of an Island Economy, which was inscribed as a UNESCO World Heritage Site in 2012, to the members of the BCCI delegation. This ambitious and romantic project of what must have been a difficult occupation, includes the Pearling Path of Bahrain and will wind its way through 3.5km of Muharraq’s narrow streets, visiting 17 renovated houses along the way, each with a connection to the pearling culture that brought wealth to the island prior to the 1930’s.
Next they headed to the Bu Maher Fort Information Centre and Al-Ghoos House. The Al-Ghoos House is one of seventeen properties that make up the Pearl Path. The house allows an insight into the life of a diver, the first person to make contact with the pearl, which stimulated the far-reaching pearling economy. The house will accommodate an exhibition facility offering visitors the opportunity to experience the living conditions of the lower income members of the society during the late pearling era.
A dedicated Site Administration Unit has been established within the Ministry of Culture to co-ordinate the implementation of the management system and preservation of the urban fabric of these historical places. The delegation also paid visit to a well-known Bahraini pearling merchant's property, the Fakhro Amarat (building), which will be restored and host a new multi-media visitor centre featuring an artifact and video-audio documentation of the pearling era as well as Seyadi historical shops.
During her visit to one of the pearling project’s public spaces inaugurated during the last year’s Spring of Culture festivities, The Minister of Culture stressed the importance of Bahrain’s historical traditional markets, as a means to keep record of the country’s economic and social history. H.E said that the Ministry of Culture’s plans to preserve those markets and revive their pivotal role, noting that the revamping process will be carried out within a comprehensive plan of the cities so as to maintain the identity of those iconic suqs.
The delegation finished their visit by discovering the beauty of house of traditional sea captain (Nokhetha), another old house in Bahrain which has been turned into a museum It was the first place to be renovated as part of a massive project “Pearling, Testimony of an Island Economy” that tells the tale of traditional pearl diving and trade in Bahrain. The new museum documents the lifestyle of Nokhetha and the nature of his work as the master of sailors and leader in pearl trading in the area. The house highlights the gatherings Nokhetha used to hold and how he managed his businesses.
Members of the Old Souq Committee’s delegation commended the Culture Ministry’s efforts to revive old areas and preserve Bahrain’s rich heritage. They praised H.E‘s role in preserving the national heritage, which is a common national responsibility, pointing out the importance of Bahrain's cultural heritage in projecting the Kingdom's identity.
