Al-Muharraq 3.97

Muharraq Island, formerly known as Moharek, is the second largest island in the archipelago of Bahrain after Bahrain Island. It has a distance of 4km east of the capital, Manama, on Bahrain Island.HistoryIt is named after Muharraq City, the former capital of Bahrain. The Al Khalifa dynasty settled there in the nineteenth century and resided there until 1923. The island dominated trade, fishing and especially pearls industries in Bahrain. The Pearl center was made a UNESCO world heritage site in 2012. In recent years, north of Muharraq Island have a major reclamation of some artificial islands like Amwaj Islands. The south of the island, at Hidd district, the new Bahrain International Investment Park of the free zone (BIIP) was built. And in the far south, new Khalifa bin Saruman harbor, which opened in 2009.DemographyThere are several towns and villages located on the Island, including: Al Muharraq Al Dair Arad, formerly a separate island of its own Busaiteen Hidd Galali Halat Bu Maher Samaheej