THE ULTIMATE GUIDE TO BAHRAIN
Welcome to the History page!
Read below to find out about the history of Bahrain.
Brief History
Known in ancient times as Dilmun, Bahrain was one of the most important center of trade by the 3000 BC. The islands were ruled by the Persians in the 400 AD , and then by Arabs until 1541, when the Portuguese invaded them. Persia again claimed Bahrain in 1602. In 1783 Ahmad Ibn Al-Khalifah took over, and the Al-Khalifahs remain the ruling family today. Bahrain was then controlled and protected by Britain in 1820. It did not gain full independence until August 14, 1971.
The
Dilmun Era
Dilmun or sometimes called Telmon is the old name of Bahrain. The first mention of Dilmun land was found in Sumerian cuneiform mud tablets dated to the end of fourth millennium BC in Uruk city. Uruk was the largest settlement in south of Mesopotamia about 3200B.C. Dilmun was described as "the place where the sun rises" , "the Land of the Living" and the place of hero to flood and this is as per Sumerian creation myth. The exact location of Dilmun is unclear, it might be associated with the islands of Bahrain, Eastern province of Saudi Arabia, Qatar till Oman.
House of Khalifa
The House of Khalifa is the royal family of Bahrain. The Al Khalifas profess Sunni Islamand belong to the Utub confederation that migrated from Najd to Kuwait in the early 18th century. The current head of the family is Hamad bin Isa Al Khalifa, who became the Emir of Bahrain in 1999 and proclaimed himself King of Bahrain in 2002.