The Bahrain National Museum is the crowning achievement of the Kingdom of Bahrain’s ongoing efforts to preserve the nation’s heritage and history; Efforts which began in 1957 when the first exhibition of the artefacts discovered by the Danish archaeological expedition was held at Al-Hidaya Al-Khalifiya in Muharraq. The museum was inaugurated in 1988 by the late Emir Shaikh Isa bin Salman Al Khalifa in a grand ceremony attended by His Royal Highness Prince Khalifa bin Salman Al Khalifa, the Prime Minister, and then Crown Prince His Majesty King Hamad bin Isa Al Khalifa.
Built on a central location between Manama and Muharraq, Bahrain National Museum houses 9 main halls, and classifies the accumulated heritage of the Kingdom of Bahrain into 6 different sections. Visitors to the museum will be taken on a 4,000 year journey through time as they pass through its halls, from the traditional handicrafts hall, to the customs and traditions hall, burial mounds hall, ancient documents and manuscripts hall, Tylos hall, and Islamic period hall. The museum seeks not only to enhance understand and knowledge of Bahrain’s history amongst locals only, but also play a role as an institutions which promotes global culture within the community, as evidenced by the numerous international culture and art exhibitions it has hosted over the years.