In Arabic, Bahrain’s capital city means “a sleeping place,” but on weekends Manama is far from sleepy. Numerous Saudi citizens cross the 25-kilometer King Fahd Causeway connecting their kingdom to Bahrain to eat, drink, party and of course mingle with women – something they can’t easily do at home.
Still, there is more to Manama than being a business tourist destination for its bigger neighbor. There is culture too. From the National Museum of Bahrain to the Beit al-Koran (House of the Koran for religious studies) Bahrain is bubbling with cultural activity.
One Bahraini citizen in particular is determined to add her brand to this nascent scene.
Over the past eight year Fatima Alireza has transformed a classically designed old house into one of the Manama’s most important cultural gathering spots – a setting where art, heritage, music and cuisine come together, and which Alireza owns and manages.
