Along the teeming narrow streets of this centuries-old trading port, and among the modern-day merchants of the old souk who have immigrated from across the Middle East, South Asia and beyond, an urban project is paying homage to 5,000 years of pearling history in Bahrain.
The newest part of the project is the Pearling Path, which opened in February. The urban trail can be followed as a free, self-guided tour that rolls its way through 3.5-kilometers, or just over two miles, of commercial and residential neighborhoods in Muharraq, a centuries-old city across the water from the modern capital, Manama.
The trail is part of the kingdom’s efforts to celebrate the rich history of this nation of small islands, which since the Bronze Age has harvested what many consider to be the world’s finest natural pearls. Oil has dominated here since it was discovered in the early 1930s but, as those reserves are being depleted, the country is trying to widen its focus to include the history of pearling.
