Al Muharraq · BH

Pearling Path Visitor and Experience Center

The Pearling Path Visitor and Experience Center is the gateway to a UNESCO World Heritage Site that tells the story of Bahrain's pearl-diving economy — the industry that defined the nation before oil transformed the Gulf. Located in the heart of Muharraq, Bahrain's former capital, this striking contemporary building was designed by Swiss architect Valerio Olgiati and incorporates the ruins of a 1930s pearl merchant's warehouse beneath a sweeping roof pierced by fifteen wind towers. Named one of TIME Magazine's best tourist destinations for 2024, the centre serves as both exhibition space and launching point for a 3-kilometre walking trail through historic Muharraq, linking seventeen restored buildings — merchant houses, divers' homes, mosques, and market shops — that together narrate the journey of the Bahraini pearl from seabed to international market.