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VISITORS can enjoy a step back in time during the summer months with a touch of high-tech gadgetry as they explore the island’s military might and its growth over the ages.
The Bahrain Military Museum obtains a vast array of treasures including paintings, documents, flags, weaponry, models and fascinating artifacts depicting the role of the Bahrain Defence Force (BDF).
It is nestled in the heart of Hunainiyah Valley in Riffa close to the famous fort in which Bahrain’s former ruler Shaikh Isa bin Ali Al Khalifa was born.
The museum, designed as a mirror image of the fort’s exterior, was opened in February, 2013, by His Majesty King Hamad to mark the BDF’s 45th anniversary, and reopened with special opening hours during the Eid celebrations.
Captain Mahmood Imdad Hussain Awan, the museum’s head of collections management, said: “The museum was opened to educate the community on the history of the BDF and Bahrain. One of its aims is to bridge the gap between military and civilian life, to see what has been accomplished over the years and how Bahrain came to be.
“Perhaps you want to know more about the ruling family or the weapons and facilities used in the naval and air forces? It’s a great place for school field trips and for those that are interested in learning more about what we do. For example, Bahrain has 12 forts, one of which was in Qatar and only little remains of it, and it all specialises in defence. We welcome all visitors to the museum, which is open daily.”
Currently it opens its doors for free to the public at various times throughout the week and there are plans to create an entrance museum card for regular visitors. Until then visitors require a valid CPR identification card to gain entrance.
Upon entering the guarded gates, tourists are likely to be awestruck by the imposing towers, greenery and camouflaged tanks positioned around the giant wooden museum doors.
The two-storey centre features 12 spaces including a main hall, a hall for rulers, forts, documents, horses and old weapons on the ground floor. The army, naval, air force, uniforms, medals and ammunition halls are located on the first floor. Each hall features background music and sound tracks befitting the various themes.
More than 50 individuals, military and civilian, are on hand to escort visitors around the halls for tours and to answer questions. For those that like to roam solo, an audio guide can be collected from the reception area.
Captain Mahmood, who helped develop a large touch-screen monitor in the main hall for tourists to read information about the exhibits, said: “Every item on display is numbered. You simply type the number of, say the painting or weapon, you are curious about into the audio guide and it will tell you everything about that item in English, Arabic, French and Urdu. You can read it in your audio guide, see a video of it or listen to it.
“The touch screen and audio guide were recently created and there are more new technical developments on the way to enhance the visitor experience.”
Aside from the halls, colourful canvases portraying past battle scenes and other historical events are strategically set around the museum. The large portraits were created by BDF’s resident artist Khalifa Al Showaiter, using his imagination and backed by detailed historical research.
Khalifa said: “After researching online and through the museum’s documents as well as studying the different stories told about the battles, I was able to paint and highlight moments in time.
“Some of the work took me months to complete as I needed to pay close attention to detail because everything is significant. It’s not like painting a regular picture. It’s factual history so the clothing, the weapons, the horses … everything has to be correct to be authentic. It was a pleasure to be chosen to paint these images and I am honoured that they are appreciated by so many visitors.”
One of the most dramatic is entitled ‘Bahrain Liberation: 1783/1197’ featuring a battle scene between the forces of Shaikh Ahmed bin Mohammed Al Khalifa and Nasser Al Mathkoor and another features the ‘Siege of Zubarah’.
Walking through the Main Hall, tourists are first greeted by a set of murals which are guarded by what looks like large shaped bullets instead of cones.
There is also a classic Land Rover Series III that was made in the UK in 1979. It entered into military service in 1980 and was used by the late Amir Shaikh Isa bin Salman Al Khalifa during a parade.
Flags from the various BDF battalions also hang majestically from the second floor looking down at the main arena.
It is suggested that when making your way around the museum, it’s best to start with the Rulers’ Hall which features the story of the Khalifa lineage. There are portraits of the rulers and exhibits of royal attire such as a golden embroidered bisht, a traditional cloak, and ghutra, a headdress.
Meanwhile, the Ardah song, which was used in the old days to publicly display the fighting strength of tribes and boost morale before battle, serenades guests in the background.
Next up is the Forts Hall, featuring models of six of the kingdom’s fortified buildings built at strategic positions across the island including Qal’at Ad Diwan which is now the Ministry of Interior home in Manama, the Riffa Fort, Bu Maher Fort in Muharraq, Qal’at Al Bahrain in Seef and Zubarah Fort, which is located in neighbouring Qatar.
Tourists then step into the Documents Hall which features peace treaties, BDF strategy plans and maps showcasing the location of historic pearl diving points, for example.
There was even one document exhibiting BDF’s budget in 1968 of BD100,000. A corner in the document hall is turned into a cinema featuring a mini-film of the progression of the BDF in terms of training and other developments.
The Horse Hall is a particular favourite with visiting children and equine lovers of all ages as it features the beloved Arabic breed and others, saddles, tools and a large model of a soldier riding a horse into battle.
Sacred Heart School student, Shamal Sharaf, visited the museum with his family and loved learning about the horses. The 12-year-old from Awali said: “The museum is really interesting. It gives you a lot of information about Bahrain. I liked the horses but I also liked seeing the different swords and guns in the Old Weapons Hall which came right after the horses.”
The Old Weapons Hall also features swords from Oman and Damascus using Al Jawhar which was highly sought-after at the time for its strength, lightness and sharpness. Other items on display include rifles and muskets.
The Army Hall on the first floor features uniforms over the ages, motorbikes, mines and guns as well as the first analogue telephone switchboard ever to be entered into service in Bahrain back in 1968.
Meanwhile, model ships are on display in the Naval Hall along with a giant mine that was diffused by a naval special group in the maritime borders of Bahrain during the Iran-Iraq War of 1987.
Fighter jet models and helicopters from the Royal Bahrain Air Force are also exhibited in the Air Force Hall along with a shattered piece from a scud missile that crashed in the desert during the Gulf War in 1991.
A range of naval, air force and army uniforms are on display at the Uniform Hall along with a wall of medals, hats and other attire worn during the summer and winter.
The Medals Hall features some of the most famous accolades bestowed on soldiers, officials and royalty and they sparkle and shine, cased in glass boxes. One of the most famous featured is the 2kg of gold Shaikh Isa bin Salman al Khalifa Medal.
The last hall included old and up-to-date ammunition used in conflicts, including laser-guided missiles. There is also a corner dedicated to the story of Bahrain’s civil unrest.
Families, such as the Jacob’s, find the museum, a fascinating and worthwhile trip and recommend a visit during the summer holidays. Thomas, a 45-year-old engineer from Riffa, visited with his wife Sheena, 42, son, Jacob, six and daughter, Mariam, 10.
Mariam, a student at Indian School, said: “I really liked the museum, the paintings and the history and would love to come back again with my friends. I learned a lot.”
The museum is open from 8am to 1pm from Sunday to Thursday, 2pm to 6pm for families only on Friday and on Saturday it’s open from 9am to noon and 2pm to 5pm. There is also a café open for refreshments.
