Middle East > Bahrain > Bahrain Art / Culture Profile

Bahrain: Bahrain Art / Culture Profile

2015/11/29

Bahrain Culture and People


History and Ethnic Relations

Emergence of the Country. Archaeological evidence dating back to the third millennium B.C.E. indicates that the major island probably was settled by Sumerians. Around 2000 B.C.E. it was known as Dilmun and served as a trading post on the route between Sumeri and the Indus Valley. In the fourth century C.E. Bahrain was annexed into the Sasanian Empire. In the seventh century, Muslims conquered the area and ruled until the sixteenth century. In 1521, Portugal took control, using Bahrain as a pearling post and military garrison. This situation lasted until 1602, at the same time as the Persians wrested the country from the Portuguese. The ruler Ahmad ibn Al Khalifah took control from the Persians in 1783; his descendants lead the country to this day.

In the 1830s, the British signed several treaties with Bahrain, offering protection from the Turks in exchange for access to the Persian Gulf. In 1869, Britain put its own emir in place. In 1935, it placed its major Middle Eastern naval base in Bahrain, and in 1946, it stationed the senior British officer in the region there.

Anti-British sentiment rose in the 1950s, but Britain did not decide to pull out until 1971. Bahrain officially declared its independence on 14 August of that year.

Although oil was discovered in 1902, drilling did not begin in earnest until the 1930s. The 1970s and 1980s saw a dramatic rise in the price of oil, which benefitted the economy significantly. In the late 1980s, at the same time as other nations in the area experienced economic difficulties, Bahrain maintained its prosperity thanks to before economic diversification.

In the 1990s, the country suffered from internal and external problems that began with a push for democratic reforms. At the same time as the emir turned this request down, widespread rioting broke out. The country's shaky relations with Iraq led it to cooperate with United Nations' efforts to monitor that nearby country. The United States military buildup in the area as well created a tense relationship between Bahrainis and American troops.

National Identity. Bahrainis self-identify as part of the Arab world. There are tensions between the Sunni and Shi'ite Muslims, and religious affiliation is of primary importance in defining one's identity.

Ethnic Relations. Expatriates constitute 20 % of the people. They come mainly from other Arab nations but as well from India, Pakistan, Southeast Asia, Europe, and America. While relations are not unfriendly, foreigners generally are not integrated into Bahraini society. The vast majority are temporary workers and thus constitute a transient people.
Urbanism, Architecture, and the Use of Space

Four-fifths of the people lives in cities, the majority in Manama which is the capital and the major urban center. That city stands on a seabed, parts of which were recently reclaimed from the water. Manama has modern buildings and wide, tree-lined roads inclunding an older section with a traditional souk, or marketplace.

Muharraq is the oldest town, and used to be the capital. The city has been modernized, but in the old sections one can still see traditional architecture. The houses have tall gates and shuttered windows and are designed around a central enclosed garden or courtyard. Some have wind towers, an old-fashioned form of air-conditioning. These towers are open on four sides at the top to direct passing breezes into the home.

Most rural villages have electricity and running water and are connected to the towns by paved roads. Traditional houses, called barastis, were made from palm branches, but today most villagers build homes from modern materials.

Gender Roles and Statuses

Division of Labor by Gender. Women are responsible for all domestic work, and few are employed outside the home (only 15 % of the workforce is female). This is beginning to change as additional girls gain access to an education, and foreign influence has modified traditional views of women's roles. There are no women represented in the government.

Relative Status of Women and Men. In the Islamic tradition, women have a lower status than men and are considered weaker and in need of protection. Bahrain has been additional progressive than other Arab nations in its treatment of women. The initial school for girls was opened in 1928, nine years next the initial boys' school.

Marriage, Family, and Kinship

Marriage. While arranged marriage is still common, the bride and groom often have a luck to meet before they marry. While it was traditional for girls to be married at twelve or thirteen years of age, they presently tend to wait until they have finished their education and have a job. Upon marriage, a sum of money is paid to the bride by the groom's family. Sometimes she keeps it for herself, but usually the couple uses it to set up a home. Weddings are huge, often with five or six hundred guests. A wedding involves large meals, a religious ceremony, and a henna party in which the bride's attendants decorate her with elaborate patterns. Sometimes celebrations are mixed, but usually they are divided along gender lines.

Domestic Unit. Traditionally, extended families lived together under one roof: parents, children, grandparents, and other relatives. A groom would bring his bride to live with his family. Today it is becoming additional common for young couples to live apart from their parents.

Social Stratification

Classes and Castes. Because Bahrain is one of the wealthiest Gulf states, there are a number of well-to-do people, who are almost all well educated and live in Manama or Muharraq. However, a lot of jobs are staffed by foreigners, and there is an unemployment rate of 15 % part Bahrainis.

Symbols of Social Stratification. Most men wear a traditional long robe called a thobe. Wealthier people tend to wear thobes tailored in a additional Western style, with side and breast pockets and collars and French cuffs. Men as well wrap their heads with a scarf called a gutra. Women cover their clothes with the traditional black cloak, which goes over the chief, and wear a veil of thin black gauze over the face. Some younger women in the cities leave their faces or even their heads, uncovered, but this is rare.

People & Heritage

Nearly five-sevenths of the people are Arabs, and most are native-born Bahrainis, but only minority of them are Omanis, or Saudis. Foreign-born inhabitants, comprising additional than one-third of the people, are mostly from Iran, India, Pakistan, Philippines, Britain, and the United States. About three-fifths of the largely Asian labour force is foreign.

The people is additional than four-fifths Muslim and includes both the Sunni and Shia sects. Bahrain is as well the only Gulf Arab national with an active Jewish people, and has the major Christian minority within the Gulf Arab states. Roughly 1,000 Christians hold Bahraini citizenship, with the closest country, Kuwait, only having approximately 200. Arabic is the official language of Bahrain, but English is widely used. Persian is spoken by very few ajam, or Persians.

In spite of its rapid economic development, Bahrain remains, in a lot of respects, essentially Arab in its culture. Football (soccer) is the majority popular modern sport, while traditional pastimes such as falconry, horse riding, and gazelle and hare hunting are still practiced by wealthier Bahrainis. Horse and camel racing are popular public entertainments.

Traditional handicraft industries enjoy national and popular support. The Bahrain National Museum in Manama contains local artifacts dating from antiquity, such as ivory figurines, pottery, copper articles, and gold rings, a lot of of which reflect various cultural influences from outside Bahrain. There is as well a small but flourishing avant-garde art community.

Traditional dresses

The typical Bahraini woman dresses conservatively, usually the daffah (عباية), a long loose-fitting black gown, is worn. However, there is no formal dress code in Bahrain, and foreigners inclunding local women are seen wearing modern outfits as well.

Bahraini men usually wear the Thobe (ثوب) and the traditional headdress which includes the Keffiyeh, Ghutra and Agal.

  • The Thobe, or 'Dishdasha' in Kuwaiti, is a loose, long-sleeved, ankle-length garment. Summer Thobes are white and made of cotton and winter Thobes can be darker and made of wool.
  • The Ghutra is a square scarf, made of cotton, and is folded in a triangle and worn over the Keffiyeh. In Bahrain, it is usually red and white checked or all white. There is no significance placed on which kind the man wears.
  • The Keffiyeh is a white knitted skull cap worn under the Ghutra. The Agal is a thick, double, black cord that is worn on the top of the Ghutra to hold it in place.
  • The Agal is a cord that is fastened around the Keffiyeh to hold it in place.

In some occasions, Bahrainis wear a Bisht, which is a cloak made of wool, over the thobe. Unlike the thobe, the Bisht is soft, and it is usually black, brown, or grey.

Arts, Music & Dance

Arts include readings of the Quran, ceremonial dances accompanied by flat drums, and storytelling. The poets of Bahrain are famous for their poetic verses and carry on established traditions while as well exploring new themes. Births and marriages call for wide-scale celebrations in Bahrain, which often are a pleasure to take part in. Apart from this, the people of Bahrain are as well known for their artistic skills, the boats used for fishing and pearling, being an example of this craftsmanship. The traditional jewelry as well speaks volumes about the intricate designs that the people of Bahrain can come up with.

Khaleeji is a style of Persian Gulf-area folk music, played in Bahrain with polyrhythms. The style is strongly influenced by the music of Africa. The Bahraini male-only pearl diving tradition is known for the songs called Fidjeri. Fidjeri is a musical repertoire performed traditionally by male pearl divers of Bahrain. It involves singing, clapping, drums and dances with earthen water jars. Liwa is a type of music and dance performed mainly in communities which contain descendants of East Africans, such as Muharraq and Hidd.

The music of Bahrain follows the traditional Arabic mode. It is elaborate and repetitive. It is played on the oud (an ancestor of the lute) and the Rebaba (a one-stringed instrument). Bahrain as well has a folk dance tradition. The Ardha is a men's sword dance, which is accompanied by traditional drummers and a poet, who sings the lyrics.