BARBAR TEMPLES

While the ancient city of Qal'at Al Bahrain was the political capital of Dilmun, the temples of Barbar appear to have been the spiritual and religious center of this forgotten civilization. The site comprises three archaeological strata, with the most recent temple covering the oldest. They were built between 2100 and 1900 BC. The god honored in this temple is said to have been Enki, the god of fresh water (the Sumerian word for fresh water also means "seed"), who created a lush garden at Dilmun, an echo of the biblical earthly paradise. It was also Enki who warned the Mesopotamian "Noah" that the gods were preparing a flood to exterminate mankind, which Enki himself had created. He is therefore a major god in the mythology of the region, and there is ample archaeological evidence of the importance attached to his cult. Artefacts and a freshwater spring believed to be sacred to the people of Dilmun have been found on the site. Today, only the foundations of the temples remain, and the architectural structure of the complex can still be admired, with its inner courtyard, sanctuaries and sacred water source. There are also altars, stone basins and channels dug into the ground, which would have been used for ablution rituals. The site is protected but open to the public, and a visit offers a quick but fascinating glimpse of a 4,000-year-old sacred site deeply rooted in the kingdom's cultural memory.