Bahrain

The Kingdom of Bahrain (Arabic: البحرين‎ , al-Baḥrayn) is a Middle Eastern archipelago in the Persian Gulf, tucked into a pocket of the sea flanked by Saudi Arabia and Qatar. The kingdom combines modern Arab culture and the archaeological legacy of 5,000 years of civilisation. The island is home to forts including Qalat Al Bahrain, which has been listed by UNESCO as a World Heritage Site. The Bahrain National Museum has artefacts from the country's history dating back to the island's first human inhabitants some 9,000 years ago and the Beit Al Quran is a museum that holds Islamic artefacts of the Qur'an. Some of the popular historical tourist attractions in the kingdom are Al Khamis Mosque, which is one of the oldest mosques in the region, the Arad Fort in Muharraq, Barbar Temple, which is an ancient temple from the Dilmunite period of Bahrain, and the A'ali Burial Mounds and the Saar Temple. The Tree of Life, a 400-year-old tree that grows in the Sakhir desert with no nearby water, is also a popular tourist attraction. Bird watching (primarily in the Hawar Islands), scuba diving, and horse riding are popular tourist activities in Bahrain. The Manama Souq and Gold Souq in the old district of Manama are also popular with tourists.