Qal'at al-Bahrain: Nader Shah's Fort

The Qal'at al-Bahrain also known as the Bahrain Fort or Fort of Bahrain and previously as the Portugal Fort (Qal'at al Portugal) as well as the fort of Nader Shah, the Persian king) is an archaeological site located in Bahrain.

Archaeological excavations carried out since 1954 have unearthed antiquaries from an artificial mound of 12 m height containing seven stratified layers, created by various occupants from 2300 BC up to the 18th century, including Kassites,Portuguese and Persians. It was once the capital of the Dilmun civilization and was inscribed as a UNESCO World Heritage Site in 2005.

The archaeological finds unearthed in the fort reveal much about the history of the country. The area is believed to have been occupied for some 5000 years and contains a valuable insight into the copper and Bronze Ages of Bahrain.

The first Bahrain Fort was built around three thousand years ago, on the northeastern tip of Bahrain Island. The present fort dates from the sixth century CE. The capital of the Dilmun civilization, Dilmun was known as the "land of immortality" and the ancestral place of Sumerians, a place where the Gods met.

The site has been termed as Bahrain's "most important site in antiquity" and excavations have been carried out since 1954. The first excavation at the site was carried out by a Danish expedition between 1954 and 1970 which was later followed up by a French expedition from 1977. Since 1987 Bahrain archaeologists have been involved with this work.

The archaeological findings have revealed seven civilizations of urban structures beginning with Dilmun empire, the most important ancient civilizations of the region. The Danish expedition revealed that it was a notable Hellenistic site.Qal`at al-Bahrain is a typical tell — an artificial mound created by many successive layers of human occupation. The strata spread over an area 180000 sqft, laid out over the 300×600m tell, testifies to continuous human presence from about 2300 BC to the 16th century AD.

About 25% of the site has been excavated revealing structures of different types: residential, public, commercial, religious and military. They testify to the importance of the site as a trading port over the centuries. On the top of the 12m high mound, there is the impressive Qal`at al-Burtughal (Portuguese fort), which gave the whole site its name, qal`a, meaning "fort}.

The site was the capital of the Dilmun, one of the most important ancient civilizations of the region. It contains the richest remains inventoried of this civilization.