Roofing in Bahrain

Bahrain's historic architecture is closely tied to pearling, the island economy that lasted from at least the 2nd century AD to the 1930s. The merchant houses, shops and storehouses of Muharraq that served the trade are now protected as a UNESCO World Heritage site.

Climate and hazards

Bahrain shares the hot, humid Gulf coastal climate.

Roofing history

Pearling era. Pearling peaked at the end of the 19th and start of the 20th centuries and collapsed in the 1930s, when Japanese cultured pearls arrived. The pearling buildings of Muharraq are noted by UNESCO for timber and plaster built to a high standard of craftsmanship using local materials and techniques.

Regional practice. Traditional Gulf houses of the period were roofed with imported mangrove poles carrying mats and an earth covering (see chandal-roof), a method documented in neighbouring Qatar and Kuwait.

Modern. Reinforced concrete is standard in new building, as across the Gulf.

Traditional and vernacular roofs

• Flat roofs on imported poles: see chandal-roof.
• Palm-frond houses: see barasti.

Codes, standards and regulation

UNESCO cites Decree Law No. 11 of 1995 as the legal basis for protecting Bahrain's pearling sites, which were designated national monuments on 10 January 2010.

Notable roofs

• Pearling, Testimony of an Island Economy (UNESCO): 17 buildings in Muharraq (merchants' houses, shops, storehouses and a mosque), three offshore oyster beds, part of the seashore and Qal'at Bu Mahir fort.

Sources and gaps

Detailed climate data for roofing, Bahrain-specific descriptions of roof construction, data on current roofing materials, information on modern materials, codes and industry, and Bahrain-specific roofing terms were not found in published sources; see chandal-roof for Gulf terms.