A private heritage village in Arad, located in the heart of Bahrain’s first capital, is undergoing a major transformation.
Founded by history and folk culture teacher Ali Al Mutawa on land inherited from his family, the Heritage Village is currently closed for extensive remodelling and is scheduled to reopen in September with a new, expanded concept.
The initiative, which began as a personal passion project, has grown into a symbol of community heritage preservation. Once a humble 10-square-metre space beside Mr Al Mutawa’s home, the village has become a beloved cultural attraction, drawing interest from students, families and heritage enthusiasts across the kingdom.
“I was raised in a rural village where I experienced the tail end of the ‘good old days’,” said Ali Al Mutawa in an exclusive interview with the GDN.
“We lived a simple life – raising animals, making dairy products, weaving mats – and I developed a deep passion for Bahraini traditional crafts and heritage.”
This passion found a new platform when he began teaching at the historic Al Hedayah Al Khalifiya Secondary School for Boys in Muharraq.
“I was teaching history and folk culture and wanted a way to bring those subjects to life,” he said.
“So, I created a miniature heritage village inside the school, and it resonated powerfully with the students, parents and even officials.”
That initiative led to a small museum in 2015, built with student help, which sparked further interest in traditional crafts such as weaving, basket-making, fish traps (qaraqeer) and palm mat (saf al khous) production.
Mr Al Mutawa would even take students on field visits to meet skilled artisans.
“I saw how enthusiastic the students were,” he recalled.
“With the support of institutions like the Jasra Handicraft Centre and Manama’s Productive Families Centre, we helped train more than 80 students, some of whom still practise these crafts even in university.”
Inspired by the overwhelming interest, Mr Al Mutawa took the concept further and built his own heritage village next to his home in Arad.
“It was a self-funded initiative that I worked on with my students over seven months,” he said.
“We officially opened it in July 2019 with fully built traditional market corners, old-style shops and activity zones. The idea was simple and that’s to create a cultural space open year-round that reconnects people with their roots.”
While still modest in size, the village offered hands-on workshops, product showcases and a nostalgic atmosphere that transported visitors to Bahrain’s past.
A symbolic entrance fee helped cover some of the BD4,000+ cost then, as no formal funding was provided with some of the items donated by generous philatelies.
Mr Al Mutawa now estimates the village’s items to be much more valuable according to expert evaluation.
“We’ve done everything we could with limited resources,” said Al Mutawa.
“The dream is for this to become a permanent tourist destination and educational centre.”
To widen the reach of his heritage advocacy, Mr Al Mutawa launched an Instagram account, @Turathiyat, which he uses to promote both student-made traditional products and share daily cultural content.
“It’s part educational, part promotional,” he explained.
“We wanted to inform people about our heritage, revive forgotten crafts, and support local artisans – while giving people a place to find traditional goods.”
Mr Al Mutawa’s efforts have caught the attention of local government officials.
Muharraq Municipal Council’s financial, administrative and legislative committee chairman and Arad councillor Ahmed Al Meghawi has formally called on authorities to step in.
“Ali Al Mutawa’s work is a national treasure,” he said.
“He has single-handedly built a space that educates, inspires and preserves Bahraini identity. It deserves full support, both financially and institutionally.”
Council Chairman Abdulaziz Al Naar also praised the project and proposed a bold idea.
“We should give Mr Al Mutawa a small space in the Arad Fort surrounding,” he said.
“Let him showcase and sell handmade crafts, traditional beverages and sweets. It would complement the fort and enhance the tourism experience.
“This will help complement his Heritage Village and give him more exposure amongst culture lovers.”
mohammed@gdnmedia.bh
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