Ruin
Qal'at al-Bahrain
🇧🇭 Bahrain · 15th century BC
The Qal'at al-Bahrain (also Qala'at al-Bahrain) (Arabic: قلعة البحرين; Portuguese: Forte de Barém), also known as the Bahrain Fort or Portuguese Fort, is an archaeological site located in Bahrain. Archaeological excavations carried out since 1954 have unearthed antiquities from an artificial mound of 12 m (39 ft) height containing seven stratified layers, created by various occupants from 2300 BC up to the 18th century, including Kassites, Greeks, Portuguese and Persians, making it the oldest fortification in the Persian Gulf region. It was once the capital of the Dilmun civilization and was inscribed as a UNESCO World Heritage Site in 2005.
Text adapted from “Qal'at al-Bahrain” on Wikipedia, CC BY-SA 4.0.
Qal'at al-Bahrain ranks #671 of 7,044 worldwide in the atlas's castle fame ranking, and #1 of the 3 mapped in Bahrain. Founded c. 1450 BC, it is older than 100% of the atlas's dated landmarks. See how Bahrain compares in the castle statistics.
View on the interactive castle map →Frequently asked questions
Where is Qal'at al-Bahrain?
Qal'at al-Bahrain stands in Bahrain, at 26.23361°, 50.52056°.
When was Qal'at al-Bahrain built?
The atlas dates its founding to c. 1450 BC. Earlier structures may have stood on the site; this is the earliest documented founding year.
How famous is Qal'at al-Bahrain?
In this atlas's fame ranking: #671 of 7,044 worldwide, and #1 in Bahrain. Fame here combines how many Wikipedia language editions cover a landmark with how many people read them.
What is the nearest castle to Qal'at al-Bahrain?
Arad Fort, about 11 km away.
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