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The Meridian International Center in Washington D.C. hosted on 23 October 2015 a first-of-its-kind cultural exhibit from Bahrain in the United States entitled “A Tale of Two Seas: From Dilmun to Bahrain”. The exhibition is also hosted by the Bahrain Authority for Culture and Antiquities (BACA) and the embassy of the kingdom of Bahrain. Senior U.S. government officials, members of the diplomatic community, business leaders, and cultural enthusiasts are scheduled to attend the gala opening. This project debuts the bilateral cultural relations between the United States and Bahrain, with a signed Memorandum of Understanding between Meridian and BACA.

A Tale of Two Seas: From Dilmun to Bahrain brings Bahrain’s longstanding heritage and vibrant culture to American audiences. With over 6,000 years of history, the kingdom of Bahrain has a distinctive culture within the Gulf region. An archipelago composed of more than 33 islands, Bahrain has been a leading harbor and marketplace since the third millennium BCE. Throughout its history, the country has benefitted from its strategic location that linked the Near East to the Indus Valley, and from its natural wealth in the form of abundant water, lush gardens, and rich pearling grounds. These features and natural resources allowed people to settle and thrive on the island and gave the country its modern name, Bahrain, which means “two seas” in Arabic. From Dilmun to modern Bahrain, through the different historical eras, the island produced an original culture and a unique way of life.

The exhibition includes a selection of four-thousand-year-old steatite stamp seals, which underscore the cultural dominance of Bahrain, the ancient capital of the Dilmun civilization. The exhibition also illustrates the history of Bahrain’s pride, its pearling industry – which, until the discovery of oil in the 1930s, determined every aspect of life on the island. Beyond archaeological artifacts and historical images, A Tale of Two Seas also includes a contemporary art installation. In SEA, artist Hala Al-Khalifa explores the legacy of pearl diving. Her work is both a tribute to pearl diving, as well as a memorial for those who lost their lives at sea. A collection of thobes, traditional Bahraini costumes, demonstrates the country’s rooted tradition of weaving and embroidering, and reflects Bahrainis’ aesthetic sensibility and expertise in the use of form, color, fabric, and embroidery. Their beauty, brilliant colors and ingenuity of decoration are captured and showcased through the work of Bahraini documentary photographer, Haya Al-Khalifa.
President of the Bahrain Authority for Culture and Antiquities, Her Excellency Shaikha Mai bint Mohammed Al-Khalifa underlined the role of culture and the arts in upholding human and civilizational advancements, noting that the exceptional heritage sites in the kingdom of Bahrain bear witness to the abundance of the rich cultures that once inhabited the island, bestowed with the designation “The Land of Immortality.” Due to their significance as an intersection of civilizations and cultures in the Arabian Gulf for many millennia, two archaeological sites were inscribed on the UNESCO’s list of World Heritage Sites. Her Excellency Shaikha Mai also conveyed her delight at the exhibition of Bahraini historical artifacts and artistic offerings at the Meridian, as the international exposition of Bahraini culture strengthens bridges and breaks barriers between peoples in an era in pressing need of purposeful dialogue and openness.

For more information, please follow the hashtags #ATaleOfTwoSeas, #Bahrain, #Dilmun, and #BACA for updates