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 The Rehabilitation of the Muharraq Historical Center – Bahrain: A Critical
Narrative.

Ali A. Alraouf, Ph.D.

Prof. of Architecture and Urbanism.
[email protected]

For Citation
Alraouf, Ali A. 2014. The rehabilitation of the Muharraq historical center, Bahrain: a critical
narrative. In Cultural Heritage in the Arabian Peninsula, Debates, Discourses and Practices.
Exell, Karen and Rico,Trinidad (eds.). London: Routledge. Pp: 173-188.
 The Rehabilitation of the Muharraq Historical Center – Bahrain: A Critical
Narrative.
ABSTRACT
Muharraq is the most important historical city in Bahrain and one of the oldest in the Gulf.
Bahrain’s authorities are pressured to stop the existing threat of Muharraq’s unique architectural
heritage extinction. If no comprehensive conservation measures are implemented, the
consequences are irreversible. Muharraq’s heritage is diminishing rapidly and its traditional
essence and spirit will probably disappear within the coming years. The beginnings of the 21st
century have witnessed a major shift in Muharraq’s conservation policy. A series of
rehabilitation projects were implemented in the city. A wave of criticism was directed towards
the value of these projects. It has triggered fundamental questions regarding its validity and
impact on the local community. The paper argues that existing governmental approach is
focusing on the architectural aspects of conservation leading to a piecemeal treatment of the
city’s historical buildings. Alternatively, a need to develop a strategy for the city’s historical
center, as a holistic context, is suggested. Such a strategy will benefit the city and its local
inhabitants. The paper calls for a sustainable conservation process which would move beyond the
mere rehabilitation of isolated monumental buildings to a more holistic and connected network
of activities and developments related directly to Muharraq’s local community.

Keywords: Bahrain, Muharraq, Heritage Conservation, Adaptive re-use, Gulf Traditional Cities,
Sustainability, Rehabilitation.
1. INTRODUCTION
Cities are growing more rapidly, and the urban sprawl attacks more historic landscape. Local
communities are under substantial pressures to adapt to these changing conditions, resulted from
local and global transformations. Consequences like the loss of value, significance, integrity and
authenticity of historical contexts. Hence, conservation, preservation and rehabilitation of
historical centres are becoming very sensitive processes. Global changes and emerging new
paradigms, in the conservation of historical buildings and settings, are changing the way
conservation experts and decision makers look at their roles and responsibilities. These
challenges require new approaches which transcend the monotonous and the repeated failures of
the past practices particularly in the Middle East.A strategy for development is required to
enhance the quality of life for locals and residents of the historical centres. This implies a shift
from only addressing the tourists’ needs to a commitment towards fulfilling the demands of the
local community. Introducing appropriate tools like reusing historical structures for
contemporary functions, the improvement of services, creation of employment opportunities, and
promotion of local arts and crafts is so crucial to the success of such a strategy.
More importantly, raising public awareness helps substantially in achieving the
objectives of any community development venture within a historical center. Positive
behavioural transformations can result from allowing the local community to interact and
contribute in the planning and development process.The examined case study, Muharraq, is one
of the most important Persian Gulf cities. Waly (1990) concludes that Muharraq reflects the
basic principles of any traditional Arab city’s urbanization. During the past epochs, the city was
subjected to the impact of its correlation with traditional tribal measures. In contemporary time,
Muharraq has endured similar problems that have resulted in the loss of identity and traditions of
an Arab city. The city is distinguished by its unique urbanism and architecture clearly manifested
in an urban network of houses, mosques and trade complexes. The architectural heritage of
Muharraq shares many physical characteristics of Arab Islamic cities as discussed extensively in
previous research (Hakim, 1986; Al Hathloul, 1981, Mortada, 2003). Yet, the city suffers from
the same problems and pressures caused by the rapid urbanization.
The Gulf’s oil boom was associated with an uncontrollable incursion which was inflicted on the
majority of the traditional Gulf cities. Primarily, modern Western architectural and planning
visions, compelling desire for modernization, pressure of greedy investors looking for rapid
unsustainable development, lack of institutional strategies and capability and finally the local
aspirations for being global cities. Within such circumstances, Gulf historic cities are struggling
to survive in aggressively developing modern built environments. The case of Muharraq is not an
exception. Armed with unprecedented oil ravenous, all Gulf cities were subjected to fast track
development. Traditional architecture and urbanism were not only threatened but considered
antithesis to modernization and progress (Alraouf, 2010).
While some regional conservation initiatives were addressing the loss of the Gulf cities’
heritage, they all fail in considering or engaging the locals. The historic areas and buildings need
to be reintroduced to the local community in a way that will be directly beneficial for their lives.
The research will suggest that a more sustainable conservation strategy will be achieved through
the local community’s engagement and involvement. The main objective of this paper is to
examine the current effort to preserve the historical core of Muharraq in the light of a more
sustainable approach which emerged recently in related literature and research findings
(Yarwood, 2011; Boussaa, 2010). Muharraq can be considered as one of the remaining models of
the traditional Gulf urbanization.
Therefore, the paper aims to develop a sustainable conservation strategy which rationally
responds to existing pressures and current problems of conserving such a valuable context. The
paper raises a number of issues related to revitalizing heritage areas in Arab- Islamic cities and
discusses the problems involved in the formulation of a viable strategy to achieve the economic
regeneration of the historic core area of Muharraq.The suggested strategy will be based on a
holistic approach which preserves integrity and uniqueness of place and recognises the local
heritage’s economic, cultural and environmental potentials. Furthermore, the strategy is designed
to incorporate global forces which are inevitable in any serious attempt to preserve the local
heritage and maintain its vitality and relevance to the contemporary time.

2. CONSERVATIONCHALLENGES AND TRADITIONAL CITY CENTRES

Traditional Gulf environments were produced through radically different processes than the ones
which are currently used for the production of contemporary cities. These environments were
based on dynamic and organic patterns of growth rooted in social and cultural values (Hakim,
1986). In addition, using appropriate building technologies and local materials contributed
positively to the authenticity of their architectural character. The distinctive visual identity of the
traditional environments around the Gulf was the outcome. Paradoxically, the contemporary Gulf
environments are based on imposed Western planning principles usually lead to a rigid urban
fabric (Neil, 2003). Planning by zoning and separation of different land uses are also
emphasized. In sum, traditional and modern processes are of opposite ways (El-Masri, 2007).
The conservation of cities and towns is about appreciating the past but more significantly,
living with it. In this context, the value of continuity becomes so relevant to the discussion. If
conservation is perceived as a holistic process, then it would help the continuation of social,
cultural, and economical aspects of life. Holistic conservation is a strategy involving the
restoration of a specific product; the built environment. But, it does also conserve the cultural
process which distinguishes a specific community. Thus, the question which clearly crystallized
is how to dynamically preserve the poetics of the past? The spirit of place as it is related to the
whole physical skeleton of the city. The later includes buildings, streets, open spaces, activities
and social groups. Such an understanding helps heritage conservation to evolve from the mere
focus on an isolated single building to a focus on a group of buildings with the hope of creating
an appropriate and harmonious ambience around the preserved buildings (AKTC, 2003). Even
such a transformation is not really attaining the sustainable aspect which holistic heritage
conservation is ought to achieve. As Lewcock (2004, p.6) argues, historical buildings or limited
adjacent urban contexts were preserved as museums and they had become islands of tourism.
The new paradigm of heritage conservation, as this paper argues, is based on the sustainable
revitalization of the context including its two main pillars: the physical setting and the local
community.

The examples of historic mosques and madrasas in central Asia, the traditional Islamic center of
Cairo or the traditional core of Dubai are representing the concept of tourism islands. In some
cases, the local community was not even allowed to use these islands. Local people felt so
marginalized and isolated from traditional buildings which are enjoyed by tourists and visitors.
On the other hand, the modern interventions were not adding up to the value of traditional
settings. Examples of contemporary development in historical cities and its adjacencies convey
images of commercialism and consumption attitudes, architectural fashions and professional
egoism, misconceptions regarding progress and modernization. More importantly, fake values
overtaken local genuine forces.
In the emergence of late 1970s’ modernization process, the traditional cores of Gulf cities
were often demolished and replaced by modern buildings. A limited number of valuable
historical buildings have escaped destruction. They often face other problems like high density,
overcrowding, dilapidation and disrepair making them look like historical urban slums (Boussaa,
2010). This repetitive phenomenon raises important concerns.Heritage sometimes can be
perceived as an obstacle that prevents cities from having a bright and prosperous future.
Alternatively, it can be seen as an asset for progress and development. Heritage can act a catalyst
for developing historical cities without compromising preserving their valuable and inspiring
past. Old cities like Fez, Aleppo, Marrakesh and Damascus were able to use their heritage as a
vehicle towards economic development especially in the field of cultural tourism (Daher,
2006).Yet, as long as the local community is not convinced that architectural heritage is
contributing directly to its development and prosperity, it will be hard to sustain any
conservation plan. Different researchers have suggested that the continuous demolition and
neglect of local heritage can be only stopped by capitalizing on its relevance to the present and
the future of local communities (Hakim, 2007 a; Bianca, 2005). Cities’ historic centers can be
rejuvenated and act as an alternative provider to the community’s identity and emphasize its
valuable past without compromising the pressing needs for development and progress.
I would like to take a detour and move towards introducing the controversial concept of
“Negative Conservation”. I firstly used the term in my earlier research examining some of the
local conservation projects in traditional cores within selected Egyptian cities like Cairo, Rosetta,
Sinai and Red Sea settlements (Alraouf, 2001). The main reasons for this negativity are based on
how different conservation strategies have focused on the buildings and the monuments rather
than the context and the community. A valuable traditional building is perceived as an
independent monument, as a static museum, and as the main focus or the core of the
conservation process. Assessing the evolution of the implemented conservation strategies in the
context of the Middle East would reveal the presence of three main models. The first model was
articulated around the importance of a single historical building. The second model was based on
conserving the adjacent context of a historical building in order to create the right ambience
which can help in enhancing the perception of the historical building. The last two models are a
clear manifestation of negative conservation. The local community is not considered and its
needs are not effectively prioritized. A total divorce between what is preserved and who is living
in the traditional environment usually resulted in a culture of clashes, conflicts and continuous
confrontations. The third model, which this research adopts, is considering the holistic context of
the traditional building with its different aspects including social issues and challenges. While
considering the revitalization of traditional cities and towns, viewing the city as a process is as
important as being a valuable product to be preserved. Hakim (2007b) argues that examining the
city as a product clarifies the complexity of its urban form. Yet, only looking at the city as a
process would reveal the dynamism of decision making mechanisms regarding the development
and evolution of the built environment.

3. GLOBALIZATION AND THE THREATS TO THE SPIRIT OF PLACE

Baudrillard (1993) suggests that consuming the city as spectacle is the outcome of the new
paradigm of commercialization. The construction of an image of the past – a persona – is part of
what Baudrillard has called ‘reality by proxy,’ a stimulated environment. Identity becomes
‘bizarreness of uniqueness’ manifested in colour, texture, shape and location. Urban heritage is
facing the threats of being alienated, neglected, and visually polluted with the insensitive new
additions. Avoiding these negative consequences requires careful assessments of current heritage
conservation strategies. It also requires examining the relevance and appropriateness of
contemporary urban and architectural approaches implemented within a historical context.
Architectural heritage should not be perceived as a mere stylistic and nostalgic matter. It
cannot also be limited to documenting, recording and technical procedureswithout allowing the
process of heritage continuity as Lewcock (2004) argues. Heritage continuity refers to the
process by which heritage can play a continuous role in the contemporary development. The
heritage conservation could be responsive to pressures of declining government resources and
exploiting heritage for tourism potential. Historic city centers are irreplaceable assets for creating
a local/global dialogue. The place exclusivity and uniqueness are major conditions for occupying
a niche in the global tourism market. Heritage conservation should also be creative in suggesting
regulatory mechanisms, which allow for the involvement of local community. More critically, it
should not stop change and freeze culture or be limited only to conserve monuments and
buildings of architectural significance. Heritage conservation is enabling society to recognize
today and to pass on to future generations the cultural values expressed through heritage assets
(Coleman, 2001).

4. MUHARRAQ: UNIQUENESS OF A TRADITIONAL CORE

Bahrain’s urban structure is characterized by the two major cities; Manama and Muharraq.
Historical evidences (Mandeel, 1992; Fuccaro, 1999) state that the two cities were founded
around 1780.With substantial significance as a trade, social and political center, the city of
Muharraq became the homeland for Al-Khalifa, Bahrain’s ruling family. The city maintained its
status as a capital for Bahrain from 1810-1923. The Persians were driven out in 1783 by the Al-
Khalifa family, a descendant of Utob Arab tribe, a Sunni Arab strong tribe (Fuccaro, 2000, p.
52). The city is located on Muharraq Island and has long been a center of religiosity. Al-Khalifa
ruling Family, made Muharraq their political center in 1796 (Waly, 1990, p. 98; Mandeel, 1992,
p. 119). Muharraq served as capital of Bahrain until 1923 when the British colonial power
developed the city of Manama at the expense of the old capital city (Fuccaro, 2000, p. 57).After
discovery of oil in 1931 and its consequences, a shift of power has occurred resulting later in
Manama being transformed into the new capital of Bahrain. After independence in 1971,
Muharraq managed to preserve its social integrity and its local community resisted, relatively,
the temptation of abandoning the old centers as was the case in Manama (Ben-Hamouch, 2004).
The city was declared as one of Bahrain’s main governorates in 2002.
The oil discovery in the late 1930s marked a new era in the development of Bahrain and
its major cities. The impact of oil on the built environment was evident and in some cases so
sudden. New urban forms have arisen in all the Gulf States during the last seventy years. The
unprecedented flow of revenues resulted in a number of urban and social transformations.
Bahrain’s traditional urban morphology started slowly and gradually to change from a traditional
organic compact urban form to a modern grid system (El-Masri, and Mandeel, 2003). Similar to
many cases, Bahrain’s traditional urban form was the product of harmonious interaction between
the cultural norms and means, and the physical conditions. Accordingly, effective housing
clusters, comprehensive architectural elements and simple local construction techniques were
produced. The guiding principle was house form follows family needs and values as Yarwood
(1988) argues (Figure:1).An argument which is primarily based on the relation between the
urban and architectural form and the local cultural values extensively investigated in Rapoport’s
research(1969, 1986).

Fig.1: A diagram showing the anatomy of the spatial composition, the unique architectural language and the visual
features of Muharraq houses, the case of Sh. Salman House (Source: Yarwood, 1988).

Rapoport’s argument was that in traditional communities house form is a reflection of local
culture(1969). In a great deal of agreement with his argument, Muharraq stands as an interesting
case. House form was determined by social norms, cultural values, climate conditions, and
physical aspects likeavailability of building materials and technological considerations. In
addition, the strategic location of Bahrain allows flow of materials, labor and construction
technologies to be integrated in the building process. Countries like Iran and India have had a
great impact. The wind towers or Badjir, originally an Iranian invention, were extensively used
as the main mechanism for ensuring natural ventilation within the different spaces of the
traditional houses in Bahrain.
From 1930s till 1960s, the urban morphology changed as a result of number of factors. First,
massive foreign labour influx arriving to Bahrain to work in oil related industrial activities.
Second, the introduction of town planning principles, supported by the British colonial power, to
deliberately change the two main cities of Bahrain; Manama and Muharraq into modern cities.
Finally, the pursuit of modernization process involved planning new settlements around the
edges of the two cities. Also, a considerable number of institutional buildings were erected like
ministries, hospitals, governmental authorities, educational facilities and sports centers. These
modern areas followed a new concept of urbanization; form follows function. The modern
functions developed around traditional areas in Muharraq have had a total neglect for the
architectural and urban vocabulary of the surrounding context. On a social level, there had been a
shift where the local communities have moved to modern new housing areas away from the
traditional cores. Lack of awareness about the value of traditional areas among community
members activated the tendency towards moving to the newly planned and constructed modern
housing projects. The fantasy of moving from the courtyard house to the Western villa finally
has been realized. Alternatively, deteriorated traditional areas offered cheap accommodation for
foreign labour after abandoned by local owners in some cases. Impoverished “guest-workers”
took over abandoned property severely contributing in the gradual decay of the old city.

Fig. 2: The unique architectural vocabulary of Muharraq’s traditional architecture (©Author).

The architecture of Muharraq reflects the essence of Bahrain’s cultural identity (Figure:
2).Similar to other traditional dwellings and settlements in the Arab world, Muharraq evolved
after long process of refinements and innovations to respond to complex interrelated cultural,
religious, economic and environmental factors. Consequently, strong unity was established
between the local culture and the built environment, and between man-made and natural
environments. Buildings and spaces embody functional, economic values and many intangible
cultural symbols and meanings. Usinglocal materials and skills, and meaningful forms and
elements, generated architectural language which people could easily understand, relate to and
communicate with (El-Masri and Alraouf, 2005; El-Masri, 2007).Muharraq’s urban fabric is
unique for being dense, organic, andhas spatial hierarchy. Districts or neighbourhoods “Fareej”
in Arabic, have strong family or tribal identity. Physical expressions of social fabric reinforce
territorial identity. Collective identity allows for individual personalization within the acceptable
social norms and values.

Fig.3: The urban fabric of Muharraq with its distinctive features; hierarchy of open spaces, courtyards, organic form
and winding roads (Source: El-Masri and Alraouf, 2005).

Distinguished among the different unique features of Muharraq’s urban fabric is its roads
network composed of organic fabric of alleys known as “Dwaess” in Arabic (Figure:3). Marshall
(2005) argues that challenging the many orthodoxies of street design is highly needed for a move
towards streets as a network connecting the urban form, life and activities. Understanding street
patterns in each context is the key to come up with successful and living streets. Streets qualities
and spatial patterns of roads were not fully perceived in the current renovation and Muharraq’s
conservation project. The complete focus on independent architectural entities hindered
considering the urban connectivity of the old core.
 Figure 4: Sh. Isa Bin Ali house provides an excellent example of Bahrain’s traditional architecture 1(© Author).

5. MAJOR TRANSFORMATIONS IN MUHARRAQ URBANISM

As a typical Gulf city developing in the dawn of the oil boom, Muharraq suffered from a
common perception that old cities are symbols of primitiveness and poverty. The city was
exposed to the typical process of rapid urbanization and modernization as illustrated earlier. By
the beginning of the 21st century, the urban scene of old Muharraq can be described as
deteriorated old buildings and depreciated infrastructure. It was also heavily invaded by modern
buildings and imposed commercial activities. In addition to the dramatic change in population
profile due to the continuous influx of foreign labour. Consequently, it was gradually
depopulated from its local communities. A major consequence of the shift from tradition to
modernity that Muharraq city was subjected to, was the diminishing of traditional built
environment’ spatial identity. Identity here is not used to refer to only visual character. Rather,
the term is used to expressthe spirit of the place. Despite the fact that some of Muharraq’s local
community had decided to stay in its original neighborhoods, yet considerable part of the city’s

1
The Shaikh Isa Bin Ali House, in the heart of Muharraq, was built around the year 1800. It was the residence of the
ruler of Bahrain from 1869-1932, and also used as government’s headquarter. The architecture is very distinct, with
its wall carvings and stained glass windows. One of the most prominent features of the house’s design is the wind
tower, or Badjeer, which was the traditional method of air-conditioning. This is a small tower built with openings on
four sides, which lets the cool air funnel into the spaces below. Despite the fact that the house was restored
independently from Sh. Mai’s project, but it was not used to complement the conservation and rehabilitation scheme
of Muharraq.
architectural heritage was badly misused by foreignlabors who moved to its abundanthouses
(Figure:5).

Fig.5: The sever deterioration of traditional architecture in old houses of Muharraq (courtesy of Bahrain Ministry of
culture).

Some of the local families in Muharraq have exhibited outstanding ability to resist the temptation
of moving out of the old core to the new modern areas. Nevertheless, different urban threats can
be observed on many levels. The rapid modern urban growth penetrated the different parts of the
historical cores. The Socio-economic changes allowed for the construction of modern buildings
with totally different architectural and urban patterns. The Physical loss of spatial identity was
represented in alien buildings spreading around the old core of Muharraq. Social and cultural
loss of identity manifested in the new demographic structure where in some parts of the city a
gradual transformation towards a majority of foreigners was and still highlighting the residents’
profile. Such a new condition might require a redefinition of the role of the local community
within such dramatic changes. Indians, Pakistanis and Bangladeshis who lived in the city for
extended number of years, and contribute in its cultural diversity, deserve to be considered in any
future sustainable conservation strategy.

6. INVESTMENT IN CULTURE: EXAMINING MUHARRAQ’S EXPERIENCE

This part of the paper is devoted to narrating and evaluating the current effort to preserve
Muharraq’s architectural and urban heritage. As explained earlier, this heritage suffered
dramatically during the last decades. After many years of neglect, a new era in the history of
Muharraq has emerged. Sh. Mai bint Mohammed Al-Khalifa, a member of the ruling family in
Bahrain, was appointed as the Assistant Undersecretary for Culture and National Heritage
Affairs. She immediately started implementing an initiative for preserving the old core of
Muharraq. She based her vision on a conservation philosophy which combined the economic
aspects and the value of the local heritage. She was also able to articulate a concept of
development labeled “Investment in Culture” 2 where banks, financial institutions and private
sector investors were encouraged to sponsor the rehabilitation and the adaptive reuse projects of
the traditional buildings around the city’s old core. Rapidly, theseprojects started to flourish and
attracted cultural and tourism activities. In her view, culture has been developed into being a
catalyst for the economic development. More significantly, culture should be perceived as a
whole lucrative industry. By investing in culture, Sh. Mai suggested that such a process would
generate ravenous and secure better future for the local people of the city3.
The driving force behind this initiative is Shaikha Mai Al-Khalifa who plays a key role in
identifying, administering and strategizing these projects, as well as in raising funds to sponsor
the rehabilitation activities and in promoting social and cultural activities. The implementation of
the strategy started with purchasing some of the valuable, yet severely deteriorated old houses
around the city. The purchasing process was lucratively financed by Sh. Mai Al-Khalifa herself
and then good number of distinguished financial institutions and local banks joined her cause.
The purchasing criteria were based on the historical value and the contribution of the original
owner to the traditional cultural and intellectual life in Bahrain despite the physical status of the
house. Houses of old Bahraini poets, writers, intellectuals and musicians were selected and
considered as a top priority for the purchasing scheme. The prime actualization of the strategy
was manifested in a pilot project right in the heart of Muharraq’s old core. The pioneer Bahraini

2
Initiated in 2006 under the patronage of His Royal Highness Prince Salman Bin Hamad Al-Khalifa, Crown Prince
and Deputy Supreme Commander of Bahrain, the Investing in Culture project is aimed at enhancing an active
partnership between the private and public sectors to financially and morally support new cultural projects aimed at
human development with preservation of national identity.
3
I had the honor of meeting Sh. Mai Al Khalifa in different occasions where I was advising cultural and heritage
sector and later the Ministry of culture. I was also invited by her to conduct workshops and deliver public lectures
during Bahrain’ summer cultural festival in the summer of 2009. During these meetings she clearly emphasized her
approach to conserve Muharraq heritage. She also stressed the notion of heritage as a legitimate mean for economic
prosperity.
poet and intellectual Sh. Ebrahim Bin Mohammed Al-Khalifa’s old house was selected,
purchased and transformed into a center for research and studies. This house was selected to be
the initial or a kind of pilot due to its central location and the intellectual value of its owner. The
center was opened in 2002 in one of the oldest area of Muharraq (Block 209). His old majlis
provided a meeting place for Arab pioneers of culture and enlightenment. Establishing the
Center aims not only to promote cultural activities and historical studies, but also to act as
catalyst for urban rehabilitation of the old Muharraq, which has been undergoing rapid
transformations in its physical and social structure. Extensive work was done to transform the
decayed house into an active center for studies and research hosting regular public lectures,
music performances and poetry reciting. Currently, the center plays a crucial role in the
contemporary cultural life in Bahrain. It is also well known locally and regionally for hosting
distinguished intellectuals, artists, musicians and writers from all over the Arab world. The
success of the project encouraged Sh. Mai and her team to continue the rehabilitation process of
Muharraq old houses 4 . Additional projects like Abdulla Al Zayed house for Bahrain press
heritage (Figure:6), Moh’d Bin Faris Sut Music; center for musical heritage, Children library
called “Iqra”, an Arabic word means read, and Beit Al Kurar for local crafts were opened and
operated during the last decade.

4
The sole consultant for the Rehabilitation of all the old houses in Muharraq is Ahmed Bucheery, the principal of
Gulf House Engineering.Bucheery is a Bahraini architect who has been extensively using the traditional
architecture vocabulary of Muharraq and the Gulf in different projects including houses, hotels and office buildings.
In these projects, traditional architecture was used in a very superficial manner to give only a skin deep
representation of the past. Another issue about the consultant’s work stemmed from the fact that his approach to
Muharraq’s rehabilitation was generated from his architectural training and the clear inability to consider the wider
urban and cultural issues. Every single house which was rehabilitated by his firm emphasized the idea of separation
and isolation from the social context and the urban fabric.The design firm failed to produce contextual and social
architecture and urbanism that responds to time, place and the actual needs of the local community.
Fig. 6: Bait Abdulla Al Zayed for Bahrain Press Heritage before and after restoration (courtesy of Bahrain Ministry
of culture).

If the initiative is only perceived as a vehicle towards preserving a group of individual buildings,
then it is definitely a successful project. The number of well-preserved buildings is an excellent
physical representation of traditional Bahraini architecture reused and revitalized. Additionally,
the renovation successfully combined two architectural languages in harmony. As seen in figure
(7) modern architectural vocabulary and new spatial qualities were introduced to create
contemporary spatial experiences inside the renovated houses. As for the facades, only the
traditional vocabulary was appropriated to maintain the overall visual character of the urban
context. These contemporary spatial experiences were emphasized internally by the use
ofcontemporary modern furniture, light fixtures and skylights covering the old courtyards.

Figure 7:The main courtyard of Al Zayed House covered with a modern skylight while traditional architectural
vocabulary was appropriated within the articulation of the spatial quality (© Author).
Despite the sincerity and enthusiasm behind the old Muharraq rehabilitation project, it obviously
lacks the holistic vision that will relate the physical outcomes of the projects to local community
and help in creating sense of belonging among its inhabitants. Lewcook (2004) argues that
conservation is not about monumentalization. Rather, it is about continuity, integration with local
community, and moving from preserving isolated monuments to the whole living context of the
city or the neighborhood. Therefore, to be able to comprehensively evaluate the initiative, I have
decided to conduct two levels of field work. First, I have observed closely the development of
the project, attended meetings with consultants and monitored all stakeholders’ involvement 5.
Second, I have conducted a field survey amongst selected local community members throughout
numerous interviews spanned along a period of two years. The field work’s main objective was
to asses and understands the local community’s opinion regarding the way their heritage was
preserved. My fundamental interrogation was to which extent the project affected the lives of the
local people. The question stemmed from the heavily publicized claim that the project’s main
target is the prosperity of the local community.
More importantly, these interviews were a tool to examine the involvement of the local
community and how the project responded to their needs and aspirations 6 .In the lengthy
interviews which I have conducted, I have been engaged with two main groups of stakeholders.
The local Bahrainis residents who have decided to resist all the pressure to leave their home city.
And expatriates who have selected the area for its reasonable way of life. The groups agreed
upon the feeling of alienation and separation from the rehabilitation project of Muharraq. One
interesting remark from an old Bahraini lady summarized the situation when she told me: “These

5
In an interview with one of the project’s consultants, I asked him about the role of the local community and the
conceptual framework of the project which is emphasizing monumentalizationand museumification. His reply was
short yet controversial and lacks consistency. His exact words were “the rehabilitation process avoids heritage
"museumification"; all houses are open to public and function as places for social, research and lecture activities,
they are living museums”. The same statement was used later in the nomination report presented to the Agha Khan
Award for Architecture. The involvement or the direct values of the project to the local community was not even
mentioned in the whole report (Architect’s Record. 2010 Award Cycle).
6
This research used qualitative research methods including extensive interviews with families and singles residing
in the neighborhoods within or proximate to Muharraq’s traditional core. The research has also relied on conducting
in-depth interviews with officials, designers, Ministry of culture’s team and the city municipality representatives.
projects are for foreigners not for us” 7 .Interestingly, the statement is so identical to what
Lewcock (2004, p.7) recalls from his interviews with dwellers of the old city of Cairo when they
were asked about their opinion regarding conserving the old buildings. Their reaction was “the
historic buildings have nothing to do with us, they are for tourists”. Local people of Muharraq
were observing groups of sophisticated and rich people, mainly foreigners coming to the area
with their fancy cloth and cars to attend lectures in English or French. They wonder how this is
related to their life, children or future. They see flow of resources swiftly allocated for the
renovation of single houses while their neighborhoods are suffering dramatically from
substantial problems and facing fundamental development challenges.

7. MUHARRAQCONSERVATION STRATEGY: A SUSTAINABLE ALTERNATIVE.

The relation between conservation and sustainability was the main topic of UNESCO and
ICOMOS conferences and recent forums. This is a manifestation of extensive research which has
been conducted in recent years within the heritage conservation field to evaluate its relation to
sustainability. In this context, sustainable urban design plays a more important role because the
town structure can have a big influence on the economy, environment and society (Wheeler,
2004, p. 27). There is no one perfect model for a sustainable city which can be transferred from
place to place. It is a fact that planning for sustainability has to be done on aspecific, case-by-
case basis with an awareness of the location and its circumstances. The basic aim is to save area
and energy, which are the two basic needs of any town. Nevertheless, within this target, the
living standard should be kept as high as possible. Creating livability is always part of planning
for sustainability. From the vintage point which connects heritage conservation and sustainable
development, three main pillars are suggested to construct the recommended approach. This
approach is suggested to complement the current effort to revitalize the old core of Muharraq.

7.1 The Future of Architectural and Urban Heritage in a Gulf City.

7
Most of the interviews which I have conducted were based on personal discussions in Arabic or English with
different spectrum of local people both Bahrainis and expatriates who were living in Muharraq for varied periods of
time started from three months to more than three decades in some cases.
In a post oil economy, heritage can play a crucial role in diversifying economic foundations
within Gulf cities. Cultural tourism based on architectural and urban heritage assets can provide
a new platform for development as argued by (Daher, 2006). Consuming heritage is a positive
process when it aids in the development of the local community. The one condition that should
be maintained is to guarantee that the authentic heritage is not faked or artificially consumed (Al-
Sayyad, 2001).Setting objectives for sustainable development is about establishing a sensitive
balance between socio-cultural and economic interests, between conservation and development.
Restoration of individual monuments without conserving or rehabilitating their historical
contexts and economic forces is meaningless. It will eventually deprive the historic city of its
inhabitants and will end as an open air and lifeless museum. And this should be avoided if we
intend to sustain a future for what survives from traditional Islamic urban heritage within cities
like Muharraq. Shifting from physically modern orientated planning to integrate traditional
planning and architecture principles is also required. In addition, defining conservation zones and
prohibiting uncontrolled building activities within it is so crucial.Above allis the establishment of
a clear conservation vision which allows involving the public and all stakeholders is an essential
step.Creative strategies like conflict resolutions, incentives and negotiations, publicity and
educational campaigns should be implemented within the scope of any suggested conservation
vision.

7.2 The Value of Public Places in Historical Centers:

Different researchers (Marcus, 1998; Madanipour, 1996 and Carr et al. 1992) regard public space
as the common ground where people carry out the functional and rituals activities that bind a
community, whether the routines of daily life or periodic festivities. Accordingly, it is a space for
sharing and it is where the greatest amount of human contacts and interactions take place. This
view of understanding the value of the public open space is fundamentally important for the
argument of this paper. Providing public open spaces is usually neglected in historical centres
conservation plans including the case of Muharraq. Public space is the stage upon which the
drama of communal life unfolds. An integral part of the conservation vision is about formulating
criteria by which the success of public places, within the traditional cores, can be evaluated.
Muharraq’s conservation and preservation efforts are focusing on physical entities as oppose to
open public spaces. The rehabilitation of these different independent houses in Muharraq was not
complemented by improving the quality of public spaces. Furthermore, the location of parking
spaces directly adjacent to key historical buildings like Syadi house and mosque or Abdulla Al
Zayed house subtracted from the overall quality of their traditional architecture and visual
qualities. Only limited pedestrian networks (alleys) leading to the individual building were
improved to enhance connectivity (Figure: 8). With the clear absence of engaging public spaces,
the project has failed on the urban level to enhance the sense of locality and neighborhood.

Fig. 8: The pedestrian networks (alleys) leading to Sh. Ibrahim center and Al Zayed house (© Author).

7.3. Engaging the People.

An additional vital step is needed to transform the conservation of Muharraq into a successful
social, cultural and economic experience. The role of the local community in the process is
crucial as they form the main stakeholders. How local dwellers were involved or considered?
Was there any nongovernmental organization (NGO) formed to represent the interests of the
local community? These are the main concerns for emphasizing the needed integration between
conservation plan and the objectives of community development. A participatory approach
should be encouraged to deeply and profoundly involve the local inhabitants in the conservation
of their cultural heritage. Hence, they would acknowledge their role in protecting the built
environment which they belong to. Brainstorming sessions, limited to community representatives
selected in an ambiguous manner, are not enough. But engaging the local community,
holistically, in setting the conservation strategy and its multi priorities is what we should aspire
for. Being open to the collective will of the community is an essential point to be considered is
today's multi-cultural society as Jokilehto (2002) argues. Muharraq, as one of the Gulf cities, is
distinguished for its cosmopolitan nature. Suggested activities for restored buildings should
construct an answer for the pressing community needs. Rather than suggesting the typical
elitists’ cultural activities like sophisticated cultural centers. This would result in more separation
and isolation from the local people. Hence, it will create all negative feelings of despair, hostility
and more dangerously, accumulated anger that would result, sometimes, in violence8 (Fig. 9 and
10).

Fig. 9 and 10: On April 2nd 2012, residents of Muharraq held signs saying, "Your culture is not the culture of the
people of Muharraq."

8. CONCLUDING REMARKS
The current effort to conserve the old core of Muharraq, as analyzed in the paper, suggests a
selective and piecemeal conservation strategy. While the remaining urban fabric of the city, with
its different components, was not equally considered. As Boussaa (2010) rightly argues, this

8
The local community’s rejection of the project was amplified by the beginning of April 2012. Protesters had
demonstrated against the ‘Spring of Culture’ festival which took place in Shaikh Ebrahim bin Mohammed Al
Khalifa Centre for Culture and Research, in Muharraq. The local mosque's clergyman reportedly hosted a seminar
'Spring of Faith', during which he allegedly claimed there had been violations of Islamic and traditional values. "We
hoped that Shaikha Mai would change the meaning of culture and introduce something that reflects our tradition and
heritage over her tenure as minister," said Mr Al Ammadi, a member of the parliament. He also questioned how the
ministry was able to generate sponsorship to pay for Spring of Culture events."We die to get sponsors to help us
with community projects and the minister managed to get BD1 million ($US 2.65 million) to stage two concerts by
Spanish artist Julio Iglesias," Mr Al Ammadi said (quoted from Gulf Daily News, 4th April 2012). The debate
clearly indicated the gap between the official view of Muharraq’s rehabilitation versus the actual needs and
expectations of the local community.
would result in developing museum areas in the middle of deteriorated built environment.
Muharraq city calls for a more holistic sustainable approach of conservation rather than the open
museum oriented policies currently implemented. New conservation strategy should be able to
transform valuable traditional cores of Middle Eastern cities like Muharraq, from neglected
slums into assets for future development and community sustainable prosperity. Tools to achieve
this goal would include conserving the remains of local heritage, educating the community and
raising its awareness regarding the vitality of its heritage. A continuous rehabilitation of the
traditional buildings, to accommodate new and contemporary functions that can speak to the
community’s needs and aspirations, is of high priority. An objective which can better consolidate
the relationship between heritage conservation and sustainable development.
Conservation within framework of sustainability aims to provide significant social,
cultural and economic benefits to current society and to ensure that same heritage assets will be
available to future generations. It links heritage with present needs of and future aspirations.
Muharraq historic center is a component of the present Arab city and should be studied as part of
the present day dynamic reality, not as a static visual pleasure and tourist attraction. Any
conservation plan should consider essential principles like respecting the local community, its
values and prioritize enhancing quality of life for its people. Raising awareness and establishing
sense of responsibility among community members by engaging them in the conservation
process is of a great importance. Decisions related to what to preserve, how, when and which
ways to adopt in order to integrate conservation and development, must be based on continues
dialogue between the locals and different internal and external stakeholders. The whole idea of
sustainable development is based on integrating various social groups and strata in a flexible
development process that is centered on the needs and efforts of the local community.
In the meantime, it is appropriate to recognize the contributions of those who have been
active in conserving the old city of Muharraq. The quality of life has relatively improved, some
local people have moved back, and main streets are now clean. In many ways the
preservationists involved have solved what Welbank (1984) calls the most intractable
conservation problem today, the conservation of a cohesive high-quality urban area. In writing
about the challenges of combining conservation and development in Third World countries, he
suggests that cities take a middle course where both interests come together in a "give and take"
policy. It seems that Muharraq has to accomplish this balance, ensuring that the city remains
populated and, perhaps most importantly, enlisting the support and the interest of its citizens in
the preservation of the past for future generations. The success of adaptive reuse is not only
about allocating new function for a traditional building, as has been explained in the case of
Muharraq. Rather, it is about how this new function is rejuvenating the life of the local
community. If the new functions are suggested to complement tourists’ needs or expatriates
temporally reside in the country, a strategic bond between conservation effort and local
community can’t be accomplished. Hence, adaptive reuse projects should be rigorously tested to
ensure its real response to local community needs. Despite the successful conservation efforts in
the old city of Muharraq, many problems remain unresolved. Preservation controls have been put
in place but are not properly enforced. Perhaps the most positive aspect of successful
implementation of the plan is the growth of heritage tourism. The mixed blessing of tourism is
that while it introduces new forms of revenue, it displaces residents and substitutes a locally
sustainable economy with one reliant on foreign currency. Its influence on Muharraq has yet to
be properly analyzed. Tourism has become a major international industry, with many countries
all over the world relying on the income it produces.
The demands of tourism can however contribute to the destruction of the natural and
cultural environment upon which it depends. It is essential to find ways to protect these
environments for the present and future generations. Any conservation plan for old historical
areas should explore issues concerned with achieving environmental, social and economic
sustainability of tourism alongside the governance mechanisms needed to support sustainable
tourism. The shortcoming of government sponsorship of tourism is allowing historical buildings
to look new and immaculate. The rational is that this is necessary to appeal to tourists. Such
practice would prevent future generations from experiencing the architecture and urban
environments of the past. Instead, they will be presented with invented visual images-new kind
of “virtual reality” as Lewcock asserts (2004, p.14).Finally, similar to post occupancy evaluation
methods applied in architecture, post conservation evaluation (PCE) in traditional city centers is
required. Relying on views of tourists and expatriates to build a solid conclusion regarding any
conservation process would end up with a distorted view. PCE implies conducting extensive
surveys, interviews and community meetings to better evaluate the success of a conservation or
rehabilitation project. Interval evaluation which would cover a considerable span of time is also
needed. Community development is a dynamic process and needs to be evaluated accordingly.
Drawing conclusions after any project’s inauguration is not satisfactory. But, a continuous
process of assessment is what the paper adheres to. The case of Muharraq clearly indicates that
while tourists, residing expatiates and visitors admired the conservation project, local community
members have been determined in manifesting an opposing view based on the projects’
minimum impact on their own lives and needs.Such a result is an antithesis to the concept of
sustainable conservation approach that the paper calls for.

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