The Lost Sheen Of Bahrain's Pearling Legacy

Bahrain’s Pearling Path is a UNESCO World Heritage Site that preserves the country’s 4,000-year-old pearling tradition. Located on Muharraq Island, this place was the Arabian Gulf’s pearl capital and the most active and prosperous pearling city in the region. Today, the area consists of three oyster beds, the sea-facing Bu Mahir fort, and 17 buildings in the historical section that are connected by a 3.5 km visitor pathway. A walk through this place is a testament to the pearling industry's heyday and allows visitors a glimpse into this historical trade.

An Industry With Worldwide Demand

Pearl diving in Bahrain was first mentioned in Assyrian texts dating to 2000 BCE. The naturalist and philosopher Pliny also made references to Tylos’ (Bahrain’s Greek name) pearl fisheries industry.

Exploding demand for pearls beginning in the 19^th century produced a single product economy in Bahrain. Pearl exports contributed three-quarters of the country’s total exports in 1877, with most destined for Bombay (now Mumbai), Persia (now Iran), and Turkey (now Türkiye). Europe emerged as a major direct market for exports following the turn of the century, and by 1904-1905 an estimated 97.3 per cent of the Gulf’s turnover in pearls was traded through Bahrain. The value of Bahrain’s pearl exports increased sixfold between 1900 and 1912, when Indian merchants were joined in Bahrain by others from Paris, London, and New York, all vying to secure the finest pearls at the source.

Muharraq's Thriving And Unique Settlement

Pearling journeys were a community-wide endeavour: from pearling merchants, divers, and dhow captains to boat builders, timber merchants, and general goods suppliers, nearly every profession found in Muharraq city existed to serve the pearling economy.

The pearls themselves were famous for their high lustre and ranged in colour from white to light yellow. They commanded a higher price than cultured pearls, which are created by oyster farmers under controlled conditions. Visitors to Bahrain can buy authentic pearls at the Natural Pearl Palace in Manama.

The Old Muharraq settlement was Bahrain’s capital from 1810 to 1923, the peak years of the pearling economy. For centuries, the largest number of pearl divers lived here and virtually everybody was involved directly in pearling activities or its supply industries. Unsurprisingly, Muharraq boasted the largest fleet of pearling vessels.

The city was built largely of coral stone. In contrast, around the turn of the 20^th century several of the Gulf’s smaller pearling centres, such as Dubai, were almost entirely barasti settlements (temporary houses made of palm material). This stone construction ensured the survival of significant elements in Muharraq that now constitute a unique testimony of the pearling societies of the Arabian Gulf region.

The pearling economy reached its apex in 1911-1912, after which a series of catastrophes—including wars, price crashes, the arrival of cheap cultivated pearls, the Wall Street crash and its impact on the market for luxury goods, and riots by divers aggrieved at the loss of income—led to its decline in the 1930s and a total collapse of the industry by 1950.

Pearling Path Of Bahrain

In 2013, the Bahrain Authority for Culture and Antiquities set out to preserve and revive the spirit of the Old Muharraq settlement. The revitalisation project included conservation projects, new buildings, plans for public spaces, and social and economic mandates.

Visitors to the area can follow “The Path,” a pathway extending 3.5 km from the Bu Mahir seashore to the Siyadi complex. This path includes various buildings involved in the pearling economy, especially in the 19th century. It also includes a modern visitor centre, 16 public squares, a number of cultural buildings, and four-car parking structures.

Even though the pearl collection industry became exhausted due to irreversible economic change in the 20^th century, many of its features and practices survive, and it remains a major factor in Bahraini cultural identity. The surviving traces of Bahrain’s tangible and intangible pearling heritage are rare testaments to the Gulf’s trans-regional, socio-economic connections before the discovery of oil.