Flip through the latest issue of Gulf Weekly.
In an exhilarating blend of tradition and culture, the 20th edition of the Heritage Festival has this week offered guests the chance to pedal back the wheel of time and savour a taste of bygone Bahrain.
Staged at the Bahrain International Exhibition & Convention Centre in Sanabis, visitors walk through an archway made up of bicycle wheels to enter a loud, colourful town steeped in history.
“Our heritage is disappearing with time and we need to be the storytellers to ensure it is not lost,” explained Dr Abdulla Al Sulaiti, director of Archaeology & Heritage at the Ministry of Culture.
“The theme of the festival is the bicycle. It acts as a sort of transition in our heritage. When you ride a bike, you ride it slow and take everything in to understand what is going on. You are travelling on a bicycle in this festival. It is for those to remember what many of us miss about Bahrain.”
Organised by the Ministry of Culture as part of the Manama Capital of Arab Culture 2012, Shaikh Nasser bin Hamad Al Khalifa, Royal Charity Organisation chairman, attended the opening last Wednesday.
The festival which ends this evening is made up of six categories that highlight Bahrain’s evolution of cultural heritage through the sea, desert, city, market, theatre and its children.
On one side of the town is ‘The Sea Environment’ filled with the sound of chanting and drumming by Bahraini performers playing old fishing songs. Highlighting the age of the pearling industry, fishermen weave together nets and create fish traps while onlookers have the chance to learn about life on the sea.
In the ‘Desert Environment’ a tent has been set up in the middle, with a seating area allowing guests to delve into the life of a Bedouin and take photographs with trained falcons.
“They are a big part of Bahraini culture. For me, falcon breeding is not only a hobby but acts as a full-time job and I love it,” said Isa Rowaii from Riffa.
The bustle of the ‘Popular Market’ and the ‘City Environment’ are placed alongside each other, offering a variety of perfumes, juices, spices, pottery-making, traditional clothing and baskets as well as paintings, with all items on sale.
Walking through, you can smell the different scents of oud aroma, bukhoor (scented woodchips) and cardamom.
In another corner of the arena is the children’s section. With one section dedicated as a story area, children can listen to old folklores of Bahrain.
Situated in the middle of this category is a fashion catwalk, with bicycle tyres down the side, again emphasising the theme of the event.
The first private school to take part in the festival, Abdul Rahman Kanoo International School, celebrates Bahrain’s traditional clothing with a fashion show involving students. The colours are vibrant, only outshone by the youngsters’ smiles, and the traditional attire of thobes and jalabiyas are filled with gold and sparkles.
“Today, you rarely see clothing like this anymore. It’s very traditional. Our teachers approached us with the idea and we thought it was a good idea,” said Dalal Mohamed, 15, from Muharraq.
Hazem Shihata, 14, a pupil from Umm Al Hassam, added: “We volunteered to become part of the fashion show because we love Bahrain and wanted to show our support. We are happy to represent our school and Bahraini culture.”
The festival opens the door to educating young people in Bahrain about the kingdom’s traditions and also provides a sense of nostalgia for those reminiscing days gone by.
Public relations adviser Huda Al Alawi said: “We have a diversity of humanity to showcase.”
The theatre section has also proved popular with traditional story-telling as one of the highlights.
“It is an opportunity for local craftsmen and women to reach out to the community and present the lost particles that used to exist.
“It is also a great way to show that Bahrain is unique in terms of heritage. Everything is magnified and exposed in the festival,” said Khalifa Al Khalifa, an environmental specialist at the Ministry of Culture.
The festival runs until 9pm tonight and entry is free.
