Figure a little longer for the smaller islands, given that a boat is needed to get there first. During a two-week holiday most tourists would find the time to see a great deal of Manama and many of the main places of interest elsewhere in the country. Khamis: south of Manama, this little town is home to one of the oldest mosques still standing in the world today. Some believe that the first building blocks were laid in 692 although other evidence suggests construction began much later in the 11th century. A’ali: site of the Dilmun burial ground, a series of mounds extending out into the distance, this significant archaeological discovery is widely considered the largest historical graveyard in the world. Historians believe the site dates back nearly 5,000 years. Each tomb consists of a chamber or series of chambers with the skeleton of the deceased beside a handful of objects – mostly weapons, ivory pieces and some pottery. Jebel Dukhan: the highest point in Bahrain at just 134 metres, this hillock, also known as the Mountain of Smoke, is a good vantage point but is best known for the old oil well close by. This is where Bahrain pumped its first oil back in October 1931, becoming the first county in the Middle East to do so. The sight is something of a shrine nowadays, displaying the original pump alongside a museum celebrating Bahrain’s rags-to-riches story. | 
