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Whether or not you believe that Bahrain was the site of the Garden of Eden as has been suggested in the past, it is certain that the archipelago has been inhabited for at least 5,000 years.
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Bahrain’s long association with Islam began in the middle of the 7th century when the religion began to sweep across the region, in this case replacing Christianity. At the very end of the 9th century, Bahrain became the focal point of the Qarmartians who set up their version of utopia on the archipelago.
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The latter eventually got the upper hand only for the Al Khalifa family, the current ruling dynasty, to seize Bahrain in an audacious attack from nearby Qatar at the end of the 18th century.
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However, Iran was more focused on other territories and let little Bahrain determine its own future, in the hands of the British, of course, who finally permitted independence in 1971. A failed coup attempt following the Islamic revolution in Iran in 1979 briefly threatened the power structure but still the same dynasty, under King Hamad bin Isa Al Khalifa, holds court today.
