Madbasa, Qal'at al-Bahrain, Bahrain

Installation Madbasa by French artist Marie Francoise Rouy, in the madbasa, used to collect date juice for making date honey, at Qal'at al-Bahrain, or Bahrain Fort or Portuguese Fort, built 6th century AD, once the capital of the Dilmun Civilisation, near Manama in Bahrain. In the madbasa, lined parallel channels were cut into the floor and dates piled on top so that the molasses, used as a sweetener, could be squeezed out by heat and pressure, and collected in earthenware jars. The site consists of a tell or artificial mound 12m high containing 7 layers of archaeological remains dating from 2300 BC to the 18th century, topped with a medieval fortress. There is evidence of Kassites, Greeks, Portuguese and Persians, with burial sites, fortifications and residential areas. Qal'at al-Bahrain is listed as a UNESCO World Heritage Site. Picture by Manuel Cohen

Picture No

13441860

Media ID

45126408

Size

7018px x 4663px (10.0MB)

Credit

Manuel Cohen / Mary Evans

Source

Photograph by Manuel Cohen