Qal'at al-Bahrain

Qal’at al-Bahrain is the archaeological site of a port which was once the capital of the Dilmun civilization, and served more recently as a Portuguese fort. It is a typical tell – an artificial mound created by many successive layers of human occupation.

The hill shows almost continuous remains from ca. 2300 BC to the 16th century BC. They span the Dilmun, Tylos, later Islamic societies and the Portuguese period. This makes it a rare archeological and historical reference site in Eastern Arabia and the Gulf region.
The site gets its name from Qal`at al-Burtughal (Portuguese fort). In the early 1500s, the Portuguese saw Bahrain as a key point to protect their trade routes between India, Africa and Europe. They invaded the island and set up military base at the Bahrain Fort. They strengthened the already existing fortress and erected new stone towers.
                             The site was only rediscovered in 1954. Restoration was started in 1987.