Bahrain Travel Guide - History

Placed in the centre of the Persian Gulf right between the twin ancient powers of Arabia and Persia, it is unsurprising that little Bahrain has come under the influence of bigger and stronger neighbouring powers during its long history.

The Assyrians came here first as they consolidated their empire prior to the birth of Christ, followed by the Babylonians, the Greeks, the Persians and finally the Arabs. The country was known under many different names as different invaders came and went but was first known as Dilmun when it developed as part of the trade routes during the Bronze Age.

This Islamic sect immediately caused outrage in the Muslim world when they ransacked Mecca in 930 during the annual pilgrimage or Hajj, killed scores of Muslims and seized the sacred Black Stone, a highly revered Islamic relic said to be at least 3,700 years in the hands of the faithful. It was little surprise when in 976 the Qarmartians were heavily defeated by the Abbasids of Baghdad.

Bahrain largely kept out of trouble until 1521 when the seafaring Portuguese took Bahrain territory to the west that now belongs to Saudi Arabia. For the next 200 years Bahrain was the subject of a geopolitical tug-of-war between the Portuguese and the Persians.

Feeling vulnerable in the face of Persian power, the new self-made rulers sided with the British and thus became a protectorate of London. With a population of about 10,000, the locals in Bahrain had won themselves a permanent home against all the odds.

In 1931, Bahrain became the first country in the region to find oil, as Britain made itself even friendlier. After WWII, Bahrain’s future still seemed uncertain as Britain requested that the United Nations determine its status while Iran pressed for ownership.