(MENAFN- Kuwait News Agency (KUNA)) By Mohammad Al-Enezi
MANAMA, May 26 (KUNA) -- A host of impressive and carefully-built historic castles stand tall across Bahrain as testimony of great civilizations that settled there over time.
Qalat Al-Bahrain (Bahrain Fort), located in the north of the capital Manama, is the most important one in terms of historic and monumental significance, followed by Arad Fort east of Manama; and Sheikh Salman Bin Ahmad El-Fateh Fort in the south.
Qalat Al-Bahrain, inscribed on the UNESCO list of World Heritage Sites in 2005, testifies to continuous human presence from about 2250 BC to the 16th century AD.
Ongoing excavations have revealed structures of different types: residential, public, commercial, religious and military.
The 750x360 m site is a mound created by many successive layers of human occupation. It testifies to the importance of the site as a trading port over the centuries.
The site was the capital of "Dilmun", one of the most important ancient civilizations of the region. It contains the richest remains inventoried of this civilization, which was hitherto only known from written Sumerian references.
The site also includes a museum comprising artifacts and monuments discovered by archeological excavators; such as coins that date back to the era of the Macedonian leader Alexander the Great, in addition to historical manuscripts.
Meanwhile, Arad Fort was built in the style of Islamic forts at the end of the 15th and early 16th centuries. Its strategic location overlooks various sea passages of Muharraq Island.
It was used as a defensive fortress throughout history, from the time Bahrain was occupied by the Portuguese in the 16th century to the reign of Shaikh Salman Bin Ahmed Al-Khalifa in the 19th century.
The fort is square and on every corner there is a cylindrical tower. It is surrounded by a small trench, which used to be filled with water from wells that were dug down especially for this purpose. In every corner of the upper wall of the fort there are nose-shaped openings for marksmen.
It is believed that the fort was used by the Omanis during their brief occupation of Bahrain in 1800, and it is located adjacent to the strategic waterways between Bahrain Island and Muharraq Island.
Arad Fort was most recently restored in the 1980s to maintain its historical authenticity and value, as exclusively traditional materials were used, such as coral stone, limestone and tree trunks.
Meanwhile, Sheikh Salman Bin Ahmed Al-Fateh Fort, commonly known as Riffa Fort due to its location in Riffa, is a historic landmark and stands witness to one of the most important junctures in Bahrain's history.
Within its beautiful architecture lives the memory of the ruling family of Bahrain, the Al Khalifas.
The fort overlooks the picturesque Al-Haniniya Valley, offering visitors the perfect ambience created by the site's history and environment. (end) mga.ibi