Manama : The Bahrain Authority for Culture and Antiquities (BACA), in collaboration with the French Embassy in Bahrain and supported by the Louvre Museum, launched the “Bahrain Heritage Tour” digital experience today at Bahrain Bayan School, where it will run until November 23.
The opening ceremony was attended by BACA President Shaikh Khalifa bin Ahmed bin Abdullah Al Khalifa; Shaikha Aseel bint Khalifa Al Khalifa, Head of the Education Committee at Bahrain Bayan School; Eric Giraud-Telme, French Ambassador to Bahrain; and Julien Koni, Head of the French Excavation Mission in Bahrain.
A joint team from the Bahrain National Museum and the Louvre Museum will lead educational tours across schools, universities, and archaeological sites throughout Bahrain. This initiative uses advanced digital technology to introduce Bahrain’s ancient Dilmun and Tylos civilisations to the public in an interactive format, marking a first for the Kingdom.
The project, which builds on the exhibition “From Dilmun to Tylos: An Archaeological Journey in the Kingdom of Bahrain” at the Louvre Museum in Paris, aims to enhance cultural tourism and public awareness of Bahrain’s unique heritage. Through this tour, the exhibition’s reach is expanded across Bahrain’s governorates, bringing its historical themes to students and communities.
Running over two weeks, the tour will visit schools and universities, as well as public archaeological and heritage sites, allowing visitors to interact directly with historical artefacts and learn more about the lives of Bahrain’s ancient inhabitants. The interactive experience, designed by Femme Fatale Studio, uses tablets equipped with a custom app displaying images of artefacts such as pottery, utensils, Dilmun seals, and statues, illustrating the daily life of Bahrain’s past.
These artefacts, photographed by Iconem, were loaned by the Bahrain National Museum to the Louvre Museum as part of a five-year collaboration that began in 2019, reflecting the close partnership between BACA and the Louvre. The loan was formalised during the visit of His Majesty King Hamad bin Isa Al Khalifa to Paris.
As part of the initiative, select Bahraini university students will receive training at the project’s conclusion, gaining experience in heritage preservation and archaeological research in France.
The Bahrain Heritage Tour has received support from Gulf Petrochemical Industries Company (GPIC) and additional contributions from the Arab Regional Centre for World Heritage, the Observatory of Heritage in the Middle East and the Mediterranean, and the École du Louvre.
For information on the tour’s schedule and locations, visit the Bahrain Authority for Culture and Antiquities website at www.culture.gov.bh or follow @CultureBah on social media.
