Pearling Path Museum – Anne Holtrop
For millennia, pearling and its associated trades shaped the economy and culture of Bahrain’s island society. As a centre for pearling, Bahrain was the regional economic hub where pearl divers and other crew from across the Gulf arrived to test their fate on board the dhows. The outcome of the pearling season provided a livelihood for many local residents and their trades, amongst them: merchants, creditors, boat owners and makers, captains, divers, haulers, and sail-makers.
The spatial and architectural testimony of the pearling economy in Muharraq and the northern waters of Bahrain are the last remaining, and therefore outstanding, examples that represent the complete narrative of the cultural tradition of pearling. Amongst the iconic structures, the Siyadi and Murad clusters are essential components of the Pearling Path, since both families were highly involved as Pearl Merchants. The Siyadi Majlis is an architecturally unique example of a majlis in which Tajir Al-Lulu received pearl buyers from as far as India and Europe. Siyadi Majlis was the scene of negotiations over special pearl collections.
