Arad Fort is a fort in Bahrain, a representative structure for Islamic fort architecture.
Arad Fort History
Constructed around the late 15th century, Qal’at ‘Arad is of great historical and archaeological importance.
It served as a military garrison of Portugal-occupied Bahrain during the 1520s to defend against local and Ottoman intervention.
Around 1800, when the Omanis occupied the country, the fort was the headquarters of the ruling sultan.
This square-shaped structure houses the remains of three archeological layers from three different periods, including foundations of houses of the Arad summer resort and ancient pottery pieces.
Other features include a trench, a front yard, control towers at the four corners, upper passages connecting the towers, two wells opposite the façade, a canal, and the sea in the backdrop.
Visitor Information
Qal’at ‘Arad is situated around 10 km away from the capital city of Manama, and it lies in the vicinity of the Bahrain International Airport, only 1.6 km (1 mile) away from it.
The entrance fee costs 200 fills (0.2 Bahraini dinars (approx 50 US cents).