A private heritage village in Arad, located in the heart of Bahrain’s first capital, has been closed after a massive fire erupted at the facility yesterday.
According to the owner Ali Al Mutawa, a significant portion of the Heritage Village has been destroyed.
“We are still not sure what caused the fire, but it has been extinguished. However, it has destroyed a good portion of the village, and so we will be closed for now,” he told the GDN.
The fire started by around 3pm. Police rushed to the scene after receiving the report and evacuated those near the facility to secure the area and facilitate the Civil Defence’s efforts to control and contain the blaze, preventing it from spreading to adjacent buildings.
The Heritage Village in Arad was founded by Mr Al Mutawa, a history and folk culture teacher, on land inherited from his family.
The beloved symbol of community heritage underwent extensive remodelling last year and was set to reopen soon with a new, expanded concept.
Once a humble 10-square-metre space beside Mr Al Mutawa’s home, the village became a popular cultural attraction, drawing interest from students, families and heritage enthusiasts across the kingdom.
Mr Al Mutawa started the village after he began teaching at the historic Al Hedayah Al Khalifiya Secondary School for Boys in Muharraq, and wanted to find a way to bring his subjects of history and folk culture to life.
He opened 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.
Inspired by the overwhelming interest, Mr Al Mutawa built his own ‘heritage village’ next to his home in Arad. The village offered hands-on workshops, product showcases and a nostalgic atmosphere that transported visitors to Bahrain’s past.
Muharraq Municipal Council’s financial, administrative and legislative committee chairman and Arad councillor Ahmed Al Meghawi had previously called it ‘a national treasure’.
The blaze was extinguished by 4.30pm, but firemen remained onsite until late in the evening to ensure secondary fires did not erupt.
An Interior Ministry statement confirmed that relevant authorities were at the site, carrying out necessary procedures. Investigations are underway to determine the cause of the blaze.
Early reports from Mr Al Mutawa suggest that the fire may have started due to an electrical fault during waterproofing work that was being done by workers on the second floor of the building.
Strong northwesterly winds in Bahrain yesterday may have exacerbated the blaze, according to Mr Al Mutawa.
No injuries were reported in the incident.
When reached for comment, area MP Abdulla Hasan Al Dhaen confirmed that authorities on-site were collecting CCTV footage to determine the cause of the fire.
“Thankfully, we had no injuries, and we are still assessing the extent of the damage,” he added.
“I also saw that the fire had spread to a nearby Bahraini restaurant.
“The Heritage Village has been nearly destroyed. It was an iconic landmark here, and once we have a clearer idea of what happened and what the building will need, our office will try to support it in rebuilding, in whatever way we can.
“It is especially shocking since the village was set to reopen after its remodelling in the coming weeks.”
The restaurant last night confirmed on social media that it had sustained minor damage due to its proximity to the fire and added that it hopes to reopen tomorrow.
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