In Bahrain, fine pearls have fueled the country’s economy and shaped its culture and national identity. During a stay at the Jumeirah Gulf of Barhain hotel, I was invited to discover this World Heritage site, which unfolds along the Pearling Path.

By Sandrine Merle.

 

 

Fine pearls have been fished in the Persian Gulf for 7500 years. From gold and white to shades of cream, they have given rise to extraordinary creations, especially in the 1920s. They form naturally in an oyster Pinctada radiata, thanks to the ideal conditions of this island in the middle of the Gulf, where salt water and natural freshwater springs converge. Bahrain means “two seas” in Arabic. Muharraq, the former capital, was the world center of trade: in 1904-1905, at the peak of activity, 97.3% of Gulf pearl sales were traded via Bahrain, where Indian, English, German and French traders flocked. “Every inhabitant was directly or indirectly involved in this economy,” emphasized HE Shaikh Khalifa bin Ahmed bin Abdullah Al Khalifa, Chairman of the Bahrain Authority for Culture and Antiquities, at The School of Jewelry Arts* conference (link to the video in the banner image). But from the 1930s onwards, this trade was partly wiped out by that of cultured pearls invented in Japan (in 1919) and then by the discovery of oil, which gradually absorbed the workforce. The town then fell into disrepair.

 

The Pearling Path

The best way to discover this heritage is to follow the Pearling Path, a sort of open-air museum winding through the historic city, now mostly inhabited by immigrant workers. Bader, insider and member of the Bahraini art scene, who accompanies guests at the Jumeirah Gulf of Barhain hotel chose to set off from the southern tip of the island where the fortress of Qal’at Bū Māhir stands. On the horizon looms the modern city of Manama. As Bader explains to me, “the dhows (wooden sailing ships) used to set sail from Qal’at Bū Māhir, every spring, for four months of fishing under the eye of the merchants living on the neighboring island.” Hard to imagine, as vast tracts of land have been reclaimed from the sea to build new neighborhoods and a multi-lane highway. A pedestrian bridge made of scrap iron (of questionable architecture) symbolically re-establishes this link and leads to the old Islamic town just a few meters away.

 

Winding through Muharraq’s old town

The Pearling Path winds its way 3.5 km through a maze of narrow streets. Over the past 10 years, coral stone facades and historic buildings have been restored and punctuated by contemporary architectural gestures. Valerio Olgiati’s brutalist canopy overlooks the ruins of an amarat (commercial warehouse). The globes of the lampposts evoke large pearls. To avoid reducing Muharraq to a museum, the authorities have built spiral parking lots to relieve congestion in the alleyways, rehabilitated the Al-Qaysariya souk and created shady squares. Among the 17 historic buildings open to the public, we began with the modest coral stone house of the Al Ghus fisherman: on the screens, videos testify to the harsh working conditions of divers. Equipped with a single nose clip to regulate their ear pressure and leather finger covers to pluck oysters from the reefs, they were weighted down with a 6 kg stone to accelerate the descent… The poor guys ended up blind, deaf, amputated by a carpenter fish or devoured by a shark.

 

Discover the Pearl Museum in a former majlis

The large family homes bear witness to the opulence of the merchants: the Fahkros, the Al-Alawis, the Mattars and the Al-Jalahmas. The highlight of this tour is the complex built by Ahmed bin Jasim Siyadi, based on the traditional model of the house, majlis (reception hall) and mosque. The Anne Holtrop Studio has magnificently restored carved wooden doors, stained glass windows, mosaics and friezes, demonstrating the richness of detail and variety of ornamentation. The museum is housed in the former majlis, where long negotiations with foreigners took place. As I entered, I thought of the French, especially Victor Rosenthal and Jacques Cartier, who may have been welcomed here… In the showcases standing out against the silver walls, loose pearls rub shoulders with pearls mounted on archaeological necklaces, brooches and watches by Cartier, or a pair of contemporary earrings by the Indian jeweler Baghat.

 

For the more passionate, plan a full day to explore the Pearling Path. Enjoy lunch at Bread and Paper, Yusuf Qamber and Sara Abdulla’s new coffee shop (a sure sign of gentrification). And before heading back to the Jumeirah Gulf Bahrain, stop off at the Mattar jeweler’s boutique to treat yourself to a necklace made from Bahrain’s famous fine pearls. Representatives of the 5th and 6th generations of this famous family of merchants launched their own brand a few years ago, helping to perpetuate Bahrain’s heritage. A heritage fiercely defended by this Gulf kingdom: DANAT, the country’s gemological laboratory, one of the few in the world to specialize in pearls, analyzes all specimens entering the country and refuses to accept cultured pearls, most of which now come from China. Only fine pearls are authorized here.

 

“Pearl Odyssey” is offered by Jumeirah Gulf of Bahrain – Price on request, recommended season: October to May

 

* on the occasion of the exhibition and release of the book “Paris, capitale de la perle” (Éditions Norma)