SHEIKH ISA BIN ALI'S HOUSE

The former royal residence of Muharraq, built in the early 19th century, welcomes visitors who have come in great numbers to admire one of the finest examples of traditional Bahraini architecture.

This vast house was the seat of Bahraini power from 1869 to 1932. The political importance of the emir is reflected in the social organization that defines its plans, one part was reserved for servants, another for guests, another larger, for the family (large) of the emir, and finally the royal quarters, occupied by the descendant of the conqueror Salman Al Khalifa. His majlis (the reception room) is located just below the badgir, a wind tower. Invented in Persia, this system captures the air currents and drains the resulting coolness to the lower floors. The women used to let their clothes dry on the badgir, giving humidity to the air conditioned before time. A trap door was used to protect from the cold in winter. And still today, standing in the royal majlis, the temperatures are very pleasant. In the rest of the house, most of the rooms are empty, but in half an hour you will have time to walk around and admire the delicate arches, the antique wooden doors, the inner courtyard and the palm leaf roofs. In the neighborhood, you can also see the school and mosque built by the royal family.