Manama, Dec. 27 (BNA): The Bahrain Authority for Culture and Antiquities (BACA) said that the design programme of the fourth edition of the Muharraq Nights Festival highlights the features of the historic city of Muharraq through a series of events, exhibitions and activities held along the Pearling Path, in conjunction with the Celebrate Bahrain Season 2025.

BACA noted that the programme offers artistic showcases, interactive workshops and a variety of activities held across a number of historic houses and cultural spaces, with the participation of markets, shops and local initiatives.

The programme also includes a series of creative workshops and specialised design experiences, featuring design works and artistic pieces ranging from furniture to home accessories. At Al Hala Building, Artyology presents a selection of creative design pieces, while Turabi House hosts a cultural experience by Kalimat House from the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia, including selected books and locally made products.

BACA explained that the festival has seen the opening of a number of design exhibitions, including an exhibition in collaboration with Al Sadu Society from the State of Kuwait, showcasing textile arts inspired by traditional Sadu patterns at Haneen Raihan. Haneen Wared hosts products inspired by Al Nashil garments, handcrafted by one of the last specialists preserving this traditional technique, Abdulqader Ahmed. Haneen Yasmeen presents an exclusive presence by Assouline, through a curated selection of its publications that combine refined design with cultural and artistic content.

Public Pages at Block 215 hosts a number of local and regional publishing houses and bookshops, including Jameel Arts Shop represented by Al Riwaq Art Space, displaying recent publications in contemporary art, design, architecture and culture. The Bahrain Authority for Culture and Antiquities is also participating with a curated selection of its own publications and exhibition-related titles.

The space includes a series of panel discussions and interactive programmes focused on the exchange of expertise in the field of design. Among them is Design Majlis: How Creative Practices Tell Our Stories, inspired by the traditional majlis as a platform for dialogue and knowledge exchange. Naso Art Journal presents a programme discussing the sustainability of artistic ecosystems in the region, alongside a panel discussion featuring Shaikha Nayla bint Ahmed Al Khalifa and Soraya Durand, addressing models of sustainable art in the Kingdom of Bahrain and the Middle East, with the participation of a number of specialists and visual artists.

At Suq Al Qaysariyyah, the Pearling Path Gift Shop welcomes visitors with a selection of products linked to Bahrain’s pearling history. Suq Nights (I) and Suq Nights (II) also feature products by local and regional designers in the fields of fashion, perfumes, gold and jewellery, with the Pearling Path Visitor Centre and Amarat Ali Rashed Fakhro (I) serving as destinations for shopping and discovering creative initiatives. At Siyadi Shops, contemporary design products and initiatives are on display, alongside studios offering modern design experiences.

The festival also presents the project Under the Lights of Muharraq, which activates ten historic shops and workshops across the city, transforming them into cultural and tourism destinations. These include Muharraq Modern Bookshop, established in 1952; Al Darwaza Carpentry, operating for around 35 years; and Abdulla Al Hamadi Upholstery, with a history spanning more than seventy years.

Muharraq Nights Festival runs daily until 30 December, from Sunday to Wednesday, 5 PM to 10 PM, and from Thursday to Saturday, 5 PM to 12 AM, along the Pearling Path.

Anyone interested in learning more about the festival’s locations and events can visit the Pearling Path website, pearlingpath.bh, or follow @PearlingPath and @CultureBah on social media.

A.S, S.E