Arad Fort Bahrain: A Historic Islamic Coastal Fortress
Visitor Information
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Official Website: culture.gov.bh
Country: Bahrain
Civilization: Early Islamic, Medieval Islamic, Ottoman
Remains: Military
History
Arad Fort is situated in the municipality of Muharraq in the modern state of Bahrain. It was constructed by Islamic builders in the late 15th or early 16th century, following architectural styles common to the region before European colonial expansion.
The fort originally served as a defensive position controlling maritime passages near Muharraq’s shallow coasts. Its location guarded a narrow and difficult sea channel that once separated the fort’s island from Muharraq Island, effectively preventing hostile ships from passing. The importance of Arad Fort as a military stronghold is evidenced by its inclusion on a Portuguese map dating from around 1635, which depicts the fort during a siege and shows both an outer and inner coastal wall system.
During the 16th and 17th centuries, Arad Fort was central to regional power struggles, especially with the Portuguese occupation of Bahrain in 1622. The fort remained a defensive bastion under Portuguese influence, maintaining its military role through successive changes in control.
In the period around 1800, Bahrain came under brief occupation by forces led by Imam Sultan bin Ahmed Al Busaidi of Oman. During this time, the fort was fortified further, and the Imam stationed his troops there while appointing his son as governor of the island, underscoring its continued strategic importance. Physical evidence from this era includes a 19th-century cannon installed on the fort’s southern bastion, aimed at the narrow entrance channel to deter naval incursions.
Archaeological investigations have confirmed that the fort maintained continuous defensive use from its initial construction through the 19th century. Later, in the 20th century, significant restoration work took place between 1984 and 1987 to preserve the structure’s historical character using traditional Bahraini building materials. Today, Arad Fort stands as a well-documented example of pre-Portuguese Islamic military architecture in the Gulf region.
Remains
Arad Fort is laid out in a compact square plan, featuring a cylindrical tower at each of the four corners. This arrangement reflects typical Islamic military design principles of the 15th and 16th centuries in the Arabian Gulf, intended to provide overlapping fields of fire along the fort’s walls.
Surrounding the fort is a narrow, water-filled trench supplied by specially dug wells. While not a moat in the strictest sense—defined as a fully enclosed defensive water barrier—this trench functioned as a deterrent to attackers, complicating any attempt to approach or undermine the walls.
The fort’s upper walls and towers include unique “nose-shaped” openings that served as firing positions for marksmen. Unlike the narrow vertical slits (loopholes) found in many European castles, these protrusions allowed defenders to shoot outward while remaining partially shielded, displaying a distinctive regional adaptation in military architecture.
Construction materials consist primarily of coral stone, combined with lime, sand, and palm trunks used for reinforcement. These materials were traditional to Bahrain’s coastal building techniques. Restoration efforts in the 1980s adhered closely to these original materials, deliberately avoiding modern cement to maintain historic authenticity.
One of the most notable surviving artifacts is an early 19th-century cannon mounted on the southern bastion. It is strategically positioned to guard the narrow, reef-lined entrance channel leading into Muharram Bay, a point of maritime access near the fort.
The fort today has been extensively restored and is well-preserved, allowing visitors to observe its form and features clearly. Its elevated position offers views over the surrounding sea passages that were critical to controlling navigation and defense during its active use. The combination of architectural elements and archaeological findings provides insight into the layered history of this important Gulf fortress.
