Bahrainona

Bahrain has a rich history that dates back several thousand years. International archaeologists have found that Bahrain has been inhabited for at least the last 70,000 years, and there is evidence of two distinct civilizations, Dilmun and Tylos, 2,000 years apart. Dilmun was a Bronze Age trading empire that lasted about 2,000 years. Its strategic position on the Mesopotamia/Indus Valley trade route meant that it became a watering place for ships carrying goods and it soon became a strategic trading post with well-developed social systems.

As a spring-watered garden land, Dilmun stood out in contrast to the deserts around. In Babylonian Epic of Filfamesh, Dilmun has been descrived as 'paradise', where there is a constant abundance of sweet water and the brave and the wise enjoy eternal life.

Some scholars have suggested that Bahrain may be the site of the biblical Garden of Eden. Dilmun was absorbed by the Assyrian and Babulonian empires, and in 323BC, the persian Empire's domination of the region was ended by the arrival of Alexander the Great. Although there is no direct evidence that the Greeks conquered Bahrain specifically, the islands were renamed Tylos, a Greek name, and there is evidence that Greek influence was strong. New trade routes opened and Tylos remained a prosperous trading port within the Greek Empire for the next 600 years.

In the seventh century, Bahrain received a personal invitation from the prophet Mohammed (PBUH) to convert to islam, and many of the island's inhabitants did so.

In the early 16th century, Bahrain was invaded by the Portuguese, who were attracted by its trade relations, pearl exports and boat building industry. In 1602, an uprising ousted the Portuguese and the islands became part of the Persian Empire. However, in 1783 the Persians were expelled upon the arrival of the Al Khalifa family, Bahrain's current ruling family.