Bahrain National Museum

The Bahrain National Museum (also referred to as National Museum of Bahrain) is the largest and one of the oldest museums in Bahrain. It is constructed near the King Faisal Highway in Manama and opened in December 1988. The museum complex covers 27,800 sq meters and consists of two buildings.

The museum possesses a rich collection of Bahrain's ancient archaeologyical artefacts acquired since 1988, and covers 6000 years of Bahrain's history. This US$30 million complex includes three halls devoted to archaeology and the ancient civilisation of the Dilmun, while two other halls depict the culture and lifestyle of Bahrain's recent pre-industrial past.In 1993 a further hall was opened, the Natural History Hall, focusing on the natural environment of Bahrain. This hall features specimens of Bahrain's flora and fauna. Among the exhibits in the ancient history section is an actual burial mound which was transported from its site in the desert and reassembled in the museum.

Another feature is a tableau which depicts a scene from the Epic of Gilgamesh (in which reference to Bahrain is made as the paradise of Dilmun).Old Quranic manuscripts, notes on astronomy and historical documents and letters are exhibited in the Documents and Manuscripts Hall. The building was designed by KHR Arkitekter of Denmark.