Sophie’s World

It’s early evening in the village surrounding Qala’at al-Bahrain. The creatively decorated houses remind me of pictues in fairy-tales, especially through the filter of the setting sun. Five horsemen appear out of the dusk in front of the cool silhouette of a large 16th century Portuguese fort. This is the home of Iranians, says Aziz, my guide for the evening. This is a shia village.

On UNESCOs World Heritage List since 2005, Qala’at al-Bahrain has been inhabited for 4 500 years – apparent through 12 metres of layers. The tell has been partially excavated and various types of buildings have appeared: houses, shops, churches, military installations. This Arabian/Persian Gulf port city was capital of the Dilmun civilization, trading partner of ancient Mesopotamia.

On top of the tell (mound) is the Portuguese fort, the qala’a. As darkness descends, the old battlements seems a bit eerie. I notice I’m drawn to the areas that are lit-up. Aziz used to work as a guard here at the fort. After locking the heavy wooden doors, he would often be the only one about during the night. Must have been a veritable feasting ground for the imagination. Although he appears to be a very sensible, no nonsense type of guy.

There is a good museum on the site, which we barely make before closing time. After the slightly oppressive heat, it’s pleasant to enter the cool stone building.

Inside are artifacts from the various layers of human habitation.

An unusual practice in Dilmum was sacrificing snakes. In this area, snakes were associated with fertility, long life and divine protection. See the snake in the bowl above?

Bahrain National Museum

For an even closer look at Bahraini history, I’ll warmly recommend Bahrain National Museum. Located in a large building by the waterfront, it’s high-ceilinged, light and airy and has wonderful exhibits of daily life in Bahrain through the ages. The “people” are life-like; colourfully dressed women and some of the men slightly scary-looking ;). There are wedding scenes, a souk and a great outline of pearl fishing history.

On our way back north was my third World Heritage site, Kronborg Castle, Hamlet’s castle, in Elsinore. The town is actually called Helsingør in Danish, but Elsinore sounds so much more romantic, doesn’t it? Thanks to Willie S., no doubt, but also, just the sound of it: Elsinore!

Kronborg Castle is interesting enough in its own right, even without any references to Shakespeare. It’s from an era when Denmark was one of the great powers in Europe. Once a naval fortress guarding the entrance to the Baltic, then King Fredrik II had it converted into a fantastic renaissance palace, a summer house. Kronborg even sported northern Europe’s largest ball room as Queen Sophie loved to dance. Must have been a fun place to hang out in the 1500s.

We explore the royal apartments, surprisingly modestly decorated. Well, perhaps not so surprising. We are in Scandinavia after all, not France. Some saucy paintings decorate the otherwise stark castle walls:

Outside, moats and drawbridges. I half expected to see the dead Ophelia floating in the moat, over by the swans there, perhaps. Or even see Hamlet’s ghost, or that of his father, brutally murdered by his wife Gertrude and his scheming brother Claudius. Dramatic stuff. But they must all be away today. Neither ghosts nor Ken Branagh or Mel Gibson roam the grounds of this magnificent castle.

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