Bab Al Bahrain

This handsome twin-arched gate is a fitting entrance to Manama Souq. Built by Sir Charles Dalrymple Belgrave, British adviser to the royals, in 1949, the 'Gateway to Bahrain' originally stood where huge dhows (traditional cargo boats) laden with goods came to dock, as this was Bahrain's original customs pier. The sea has since been pushed several kilometres north through land reclamation, and Bab Al Bahrain now houses an information centre.