Bahrain on the Web
Here is a clutch of
Bahrain-based sites that are both informative and entertaining
The government of Bahrain is taking great strides to provide
e-governance in the country. This enlightening official site is certainly a
good start. Besides giving you details of the ruling family, there are links to
the various ministries. You can come here for gleaning statistics on Bahrain,
taking a tour of the country or reading up on the National Charter. The entire
content of the NC is available here. There is also a link to Census 2001,
where, hopefully, once the statisticians have done their jobs we can get
instant access to the latest demography findings in Bahrain.
Bahrain National Museum
Viewing this graphic-rich site will sure lure
you into visiting the real thing. Clicking on sections of the ‘Halls of
Exhibition’ takes you right to the Dilmun period in Bahrain’s history or the
Tylos period and the coming of Islam. Further clicks and you encounter the
traditional Bahraini traders or take part in age-old customs and traditions.
Interested in old manuscripts? A whole hall is devoted to them. The hall of
graves has some real burial mounds and coffins containing bones and skulls. A
natural history gallery and an art exhibition nicely round up the exhibition.
You are permitted to take pictures inside most of the halls. Visit this site,
visit the museum and then come back here to learn more.
Bahrain Tourism
Tiny country though it may be, Bahrain has no dearth of tourist attractions. Bringing them all together is this official tourism site from the ministry in charge of tourism affairs. Clickable links take you to soukhs, forts, mosques, horse riding and golf. You can also get information on hotels, restaurants, clubs, travel agencies and renting a car. Contact details of various tour operators, including some which give you a sightseeing tour of Bahrain, are also available here. Then there are some useful tips for tourists like currency rates, cost of living and a general orientation to Bahrain.
The Bahrain-based
Muslim Education Society has been regularly airing a program on TV called Discover
Islam. The society has now also moved to the Net, thus ensuring a worldwide
audience for spreading the tenets of Islam. The ‘Nuts and Bolts’ section starts
with the explanation of terms like Hadith and Sunnah and then
goes on to give a summary of the chapters in the Holy Quran. The ‘Bookshelf’
offers a goodly collection of Islamic literature which you can order online for
free.
Al-Areen Wildlife Sanctuary
Though occupying only two pages of the Alreem environmental
site, you get a good intro to what you can hope to see in this desert sanctuary
measuring about 8sq km. After the reservation was created in the late ’70s,
quite a number of local plants and animals have thrived here. Besides, animals
from other parts of the world, which thrive in a desert environment, have also
been introduced. Animals and birds you encounter include the spiny-tailed
lizard, desert hare, various species of larks, Arabian oryx and flamingo. All
the species are well classified under sections like birds, animals, reptiles etc. Here you can also get info on eco tours
around Bahrain, like birding in the Hawar Island.