Bahrain National Museum 5.79

The Bahrain National Museum is the largest and one of the oldest public museums in Bahrain. It is constructed near the King Faisal Highway in Manama and opened in December 1988. The US$30 million museum complex covers 27,800 sq meters and consists of two buildings. The National Theatre of Bahrain lies next to the museum.ExhibitionsThe museum possesses a rich collection of Bahrain's ancient archaeological artifacts acquired since 1988, and covers nearly 5000 years of Bahrain's history. The complex includes three halls devoted to archaeology and the ancient civilisation of the Dilmun, while two other halls depict the culture and lifestyle of Bahrain's recent pre-industrial past. A notable exhibit is the Durand Stone, a long black basalt sculpture dating back to the Babylonian era.In 1993, a further hall was opened, the Natural History Hall, focusing on the natural environment of Bahrain. This hall features specimens of Bahrain's flora and fauna. Among the exhibits in the ancient history section is an actual burial mound which was transported from its site in the desert and reassembled in the museum. Another feature is a tableau which depicts a scene from the Epic of Gilgamesh (in which reference to Bahrain is made as the paradise of Dilmun).