Bahrain 2025 – Muharraq, The Pearl Museum
Bahrain is a large exporter of natural pearls. The technic to “raise” pearls was imported from Japan, but before it, fishermen would just fish the oysters from the sea. Tons of them, to find the small, shining pearls.
While we are heading at the Museum, the guide explains us the hardships of the pearl divers. It was a hard job. Months on the boat, going up and down from the deck, fre-diving with a belt to go down just to catch as many oysters as possible. No mask, the salty water in your eyes would damage them at a certain point. Women on the shore, waiting for their men to come, or telling them goodby, praying that they would come back soon, so that their children would still have a father. All this enshrined in traditional ancient songs (Fjiri)
With this introduction, we arrive at the Pearl Museum. The building is on more levels, telling the story of pearl diving across centuries, from oyster shapes and the ancient tools to modern jewelry.
The reason why a pearl necklace would be extraordinarily expensive rests on the fact that it would take ages to find two or more pearls that are identical in size, shape and cloud and this is what make them so precious and therefore, pricey. They could wait literally for years before finding all the perfects spheres to be assembled graciously with gold and silver.
Among the visitors and clients there as also Jacques Cartier. A picture of him in Bahrain in 1912 is exposed at the museum.
Bahrain pearl diving was included int UNESCO list in 2012.
The diving industry allows pearls diving. It is possible to buy a license from the Ministry of Tourism and then contact one of the authorized diving centers to book your pearl dive. In Bahrain, most group dives – including the pearl ones, occur during the week-end, because usually the local demand is not enough high to organize a boat trip during working days.
Unfortunately I didn’t know it, so I bought my pearl diving license – about 12 EUR – and ten I realized I would not be able to use it.
If you find a pearl, you can keep it.
If you find a pearl thanks to this post and you want to send me a concrete token of your appreciation, DM me, I will send you my bank details.
