Abu Mahir Fort

Abu Mahir Fort, also known as Bu Maher Fort or Qal'at Bu Maher, lies on the Muharraq island in Bahrain.

The first fortification on this site was probably just a tower built during Portuguese rule in the 16th century.

The present fort was built in 1840 by Shaikh Abdullah bin Ahmed Al Khalifa, probably reusing an old ruin. It had a rectangular plan with circular towers at its four corners. Together with the older Arad Fort on the other shore, it protected Muharraq Bay. In 1868 Abu Mahir Fort was destroyed by a bombardment from British warships. In the 1970s, the fort was partially rebuilt. An archaeological excavation uncovered the fort's foundations, in 2010, and amongst them an ancient Arabic date press room, known as a madbasa or mudabissa.

At present Abu Mahir Fort is a tourist attraction. It can not be reached from the landward side, however, as the surrounding area is a coast guard base. If you want to visit it, you will have to go to the Bahrain National Museum in Manama. There you can buy a ticket for a short boat trip to the fort. There is a very small exhibition on the site of the fort. The Bahrain National Museum is also worth a visit in itself.

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