Muharraq Island, formerly known as Moharek, is the second largest island in the archipelago of Bahrain after Bahrain Island. It lies 4 km east of the capital, Manama, on Bahrain Island.

History

The island is named after Muharraq City, the former capital of Bahrain. The Al Khalifa dynasty settled there in the nineteenth century and resided there until 1923. The island dominated the trade, fishing and especially pearls industries in Bahrain. The pearl center was made a UNESCO world heritage site in 2012. In recent years, major reclamation of artificial islands like Amwaj Islands has taken place north of Muharraq Island. In the south of the island, at Hidd district, the new Bahrain International Investment Park (BIIP) of the free zone was built. In the far south, new Khalifa bin Salman harbor opened in 2009.

Demography

There are several towns and villages located on the Island, including:

Administration

The island belongs to Muharraq Governorate.

Transportation

The island has the 4000 m Bahrain International Airport that follows the long east–west axis. The island has the 900 m Muharraq Airfield (ICAO code:none) adjacent to Bahrain International Airport. There are three causeways connecting Muharraq Island with Manama on Bahrain Island:

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