A heartfelt appeal has been made to revive the Al Jasra Handicrafts Centre after a sharp decline in visitor numbers at what was once one of Bahrain’s most vibrant cultural attractions for both tourists and residents.
The facility – long celebrated as a living home for traditional crafts such as pottery, wooden chests, textiles and handmade utensils – now sits eerily quiet.
Workshops that once echoed with the sounds of artisans at work and the chatter of tour groups are largely silent.
Area councillor Mohammed Al Dossary says the downturn began months ago as regional tensions dented tourism flows, followed by Ramadan and the recent regional turmoil that further halted visitor movement.
“There was a time when you would see several tourist buses parked outside every day,” Mr Al Dossary told the GDN during a site visit. “Today, you can stand there for hours and not see a single visitor. It is heartbreaking.”
The centre, which falls under the Bahrain Authority for Culture and Antiquities (Baca), was designed to preserve Bahrain’s traditional crafts by allowing visitors to watch artisans at work and purchase handmade items directly from them.
Mr Al Dossary warned that the silence now hanging over the workshops threatens not only a tourist landmark, but also the survival of professions already considered endangered.
“These are not just souvenirs. These are dying professions – pottery, woodcraft, weaving – skills passed down through generations,” he said. “Without visitors, there is no income. Without income, there is no incentive for artisans to continue.”
He has requested Baca to co-ordinate urgently with the Bahrain Tourism and Exhibitions Authority (BTEA), the Tourism Ministry, the Bahrain Chamber and Parliament to restore the centre’s place on tour itineraries and cultural promotion plans.
“This is one of the loveliest places in Bahrain. It should be at the top of every tourism programme, every school visit list, every cultural tour,” he said. “Instead, it has been forgotten at a time when it needs support the most.”
Artisans working at the site, he added, now spend entire days without a single sale.
“Imagine coming to work, preparing your craft, and not seeing a single person walk through the door,” he said. “Morale is dropping, and some are questioning whether they should continue.”
Mr Al Dossary believes a co-ordinated rescue plan – especially renewed promotions, inclusion in tour packages, events, live demonstrations, and partnerships with schools and travel operators – could quickly reverse the decline.
“We don’t need to reinvent the place. We just need to bring people back to it,” he stressed.
For him, the issue goes beyond tourism numbers.
“This centre represents Bahrain’s soul. If we allow it to fade into silence, we lose part of our identity,” he said.
Artisans at the Jasra Handicrafts Centre have also issued an emotional appeal to the public to return and support what was once a thriving hub of Bahrain’s traditional crafts.
A veteran exhibitor, who did not want to be named, said the abrupt decline in footfall has left many craftsmen struggling amid an unsettling silence.
“There were days when buses of tourists would arrive one after another,” he recalled. “Now, we can go an entire day without seeing a single visitor.”
Another craftsman reflected on the centre’s former role as a living museum, where visitors could observe each piece being created by hand.
“People didn’t just come to buy,” he said. “They came to learn, to watch, and to ask questions. That interaction kept the spirit of these crafts alive.”
A colleague added that the absence of visitors has taken a heavy toll on morale.
“When no one walks through the doors, it feels like our work is invisible. These crafts are part of Bahrain’s identity, and they need an audience to survive,” he said.
Now, the centre’s once-busy halls echo with uncertainty. “We are asking people to come back,” he said quietly. “To see what we do, and to help keep these traditions alive – simply by being present.”
mohammed@gdnmedia.bh
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