Manamah (Bahrain)

Being the largest city of Bahrain, Manamah prides itself by being called a strong trading hub in the region. Although it was founded alongside its twin city Muharraq in the 1800s, Manamah came to be the gateway to the Bahrain Island while Muharraq claimed its title as the country’s capital till 1920s due to its defensive location. Later on, Manamah became the mercantile capital of Bahrain and has ever since held that position with much dignity and prominence due to its ever expanding culture based on technological and economic advancements.

While Manamah is the country’s main hub, it’s economic value hence allows it many privileges especially in the expenditures associated with expansion of the transportation network. Since oil prices are well below the mark in Bahrain compared to the rest of the world, it is much cheaper to keep a personal vehicle and maintain it as well. This factor has thus led to an ever growing increase in the traffic which has then led the state to further develop its road networks. Being the capital of a rapidly growing nation which house many government and important private establishments, Manamah has been seeing an expansion and substantial development in its road networks for quite some time now.

Even though fuel prices are much lower in Bahrain, it may come as a surprise that taking the bus is still seen as much more economical than owning a private car or any sort of vehicle. Manamah bus fares are economical and the bus routes are quite diverse to the point of even linking different neighboring cities to Manamah. The service is comfortable and the routes maintain a strict time policy hence taking the bus will never make you run late for your meeting.

Locals also enjoy the luxuries of having a strategically constructed airport in Muharraq which easily connects to the Saudi markets as well as Iran hence the airport is always bustling and the locals can easily catch flights around the continent. For roaming the city book for Manamah airport taxi here.

Manamah, happens to be one of those cities which is always in a state of constantly developing and expanding itself. Having high standards of living, it is able to maintain a diverse population and is a common ground for foreign investment.

The Special Delights of Bahraini Cuisine

Located near the western shores of the Persian Gulf, Bahrain, officially known as the kingdom of Bahrain, is a small island country. Once the center of the Dilmun civilization, Bahrain is one of the first country to adopt the religion of Islam. Originally ruled by the Arabs, Bahrain was captured by the Portuguese, the Persian emperors, the Al Khalifa royal family and the British. Bahrain gained independence in 1971, but unrests between the Shia and Sunni population has created peace issues for the otherwise highly economically prosperous nation.

Agriculture is not much practiced in the lands of Bahrain due to shortage in land space, so most of the food items need to be imported. Dates, tomatoes, mangoes, citrus fruits, bananas are the main crops. Fishes are very popular in Bahrain, whether smoked or grilled; and Habur, Sufi, Chanad, etc are quite well known for their taste. Mostly the dishes containing fishes are consumed with rice.

Some of the delicacies of the Bahraini cuisines are as follows:-

Qoozi

Also known as the Ghoozi, it is a traditional dish which contains rice, boiled eggs, onion, spices and lamb. The lamb is at first grilled with spices and then it is stuffed with rice, onions, spices and eggs to satiate taste buds. Qoozi has been the favorite of the rulers of the Al Khalifa dynasty and so with the masses. The lamb is grilled at controlled temperature with selected spices and oil that lend a beautiful aroma and great taste to this dish. So if you are planning to visit Bahrain, whether for work or pleasure, don’t forget to try this wonderful traditional dish.

 
Khubz with Mahyawa sauce

The traditional Bahraini large flatbread baked in a special type of oven is called as Khubz. Mahyawa is a very popular fish from the Persian Gulf. A unique sauce is prepared from the fish with addition of oils and spices to the fish and is served with Khubz.

Beverages

The traditional welcome drink of Bahrain is coffee which is served in a special pot called dalla. Bahraini coffee is very famous for its characteristic taste and method of preparation.

Desserts

Halwa Bahraini is the tastiest of the desserts and is prepared with corn starch and nuts. The jelly like texture of this dish makes it so popular not only among the locals but also among the foreign tourists.