مركز دار المحرق للثقافه

The Bahrain Authority for Culture and Antiquities launched the “Dar Al Muharraq” project as part of the 11th Spring of Culture Festival. The building was designed to serve as a training and research center for traditional folk music.
The “Dar Al Muharraq Musical Heritage” building was designed as an open theater, allowing passersby and neighborhood residents to interact with the heritage and musical events taking place there. The building’s facade forms an open curtain, giving the impression that a performance is currently underway.
The house organizes a concert every weekend, hosting local artists and folk bands. Shaikha Mai bint Mohammed Al Khalifa, President of the Bahrain Authority for Culture and Antiquities, explained to Asharq Al-Awsat about the project’s concept: “It is from the people of Muharraq to them. The project was designed to attract the largest possible number of participants, both local and foreign, making them feel as if they are in a natural open theater.” Shaikha Mai Al Khalifa explained that the Dar Al Muharraq project, located within the Pearling Path, will transform Muharraq’s neighborhoods into incubators for heritage and “will restore the city’s lost cultural aesthetics, some of which have disappeared with the development it is experiencing.”
The Pearling Path, which the Kingdom of Bahrain is working to implement, will form a path extending over three kilometers, enriched with tangible (urban) heritage, oral heritage, artistic heritage, and environmental heritage. The project consists of 18 oases designed to the highest standards, resembling the gardens that once graced the homes of Muharraq residents.
Shaikha Mai Al Khalifa stated that the project took several years to study, and that approximately $80 million (BD30 million) was invested in expropriating properties and establishing the project’s various facilities.
Shaikha Mai Al Khalifa added, “We seek to make the Kingdom of Bahrain a major destination for cultural tourism, as the heritage and culture that Bahrain abounds with constitute a tributary to the quality tourism that we seek to achieve.” She also expressed her appreciation for the city of Muharraq’s selection for this heritage project, stating, “Muharraq is a haven of inexhaustible heritage, and it still possesses a wealth of art and beauty.” She added, “Here we are, inaugurating yet another testament to the ancient history of this city. Muharraq has an authentic voice that resonates in the memories of its lovers to this day.” The Bahraini government, along with civil society and civic institutions, is showing interest in heritage projects. It’s worth noting that the project falls within the strategy of the Bahrain Authority for Culture and Antiquities, which seeks to establish a solid foundation for documenting and preserving the historical value of the Kingdom of Bahrain’s tangible and intangible heritage. This is achieved through the establishment of projects that foster traditional arts, preserve Bahrain’s heritage memory, provide training, and cultivate the talents of the younger generation. It also stands as a testament to the Kingdom of Bahrain’s rich cultural depth and human heritage. The project, located near Dar Jinaa, forms an extension of the existing building. It also contributes to enriching Muharraq’s intangible heritage as a component of the Pearling Trail, an open-air museum spanning over three kilometers. The project is scheduled for completion in 2018, when Muharraq will be the Capital of Islamic Culture. The project was inaugurated the night before yesterday, in the presence of a number of interested parties, media professionals, and artists. The Dar Al Muharraq project provides a space for training programs and workshops related to the heritage aspect of popular and traditional music.