Bab Al Bahrain

I like this photo that I took myself. It captures the busy ambiance of the area.

The name Bab Al Bahrain means Gate of Bahrain. It is located in Manama's central business district (CBD) and marks the main entrance to the Manama souq. Built by the British in the 1940s, Bab Al Bahrain once stood at the water's edge. Due to extensive land reclamation in the later years, one needs to walk more than 10 minutes to get to the sea.

When it was originally designed by Sir Charles Belgrave in 1945, it housed the government offices of the time and overlooked the sea. The sea has long been reclaimed. Government Avenue, which runs alongside Bab Al Bahrain, and the new highway that leads to Saudi Arabia were built on reclaimed land. Currently, the Bahrain Financial Harbor is being constructed on further reclaimed land.

The monument itself was refurbished in 1986 to incorporate Islamic architectural features. Today, the ground floor now houses the tourist information office and a handicrafts shop. The monument essentially consists of a huge arch, below which runs a road, which is often referred to as the entrance to the Manama souq (marketplace).

The Government Avenue, which runs in front of Bab Al Bahrain, contains many major banks and business establishments. The Government Avenue is perhaps so-called because the offices of the Manama municipality are located on it. The Gold City (different from Gold Souq) is a shopping complex for gold ornaments and is also located on Government Avenue. The Indian jewellery giant Alukkas has a branch in Gold City. (Source:Wikipedia)