Presentation to Emily's 6th grade social study class for Islam chapter.

1. LIVING IN BAHRAIN

2. WHEN AND WHY
Lived in Bahrain for all of 1981 and the second half

of 1982
 ½ of 5th grade, ½ of 6th grade, ½ of 7th grade at the
Bahrain School
 My father was a UNDP technical specialist on
urban and regional planning

3. GEOGRAPHY AND CLIMATOLOGY
Bahrain is an island in

the Arabian (Persian)
Gulf
274 sq miles

Emirate (monarchy)

under the Al-Khalifas
 Arid desert land
 Summer temperatures
> 100F
 Winter temperatures ~
50F at night

4. LANGUAGE
Arabic words are
 Arabic numbers are

written right-to-left written left-to-right

5. ARABIC WORDS YOU DIDN’T KNOW YOU KNEW
amīr al-bihār commander of the seas admiral
 
al-jabr, the restoring of missing parts. algebra
 
ḥashshāshīn, those who use hashish assassain
 
shah māt, the king is dead checkmate
 
qutun cotton
 
jarrah, large earthen vase jar
 
naranj, a fruit orange
 

6. HANDY ARABIC PHRASES
Hello: as-salam alaykum

 Hello (response): wa alaykum e-salam
 Goodbye (person leaving): ma'a salama
 Good morning: sabaH ala-kheir
 Good morning (response): sabaH an-noor
 Good afternoon: masa' al-kheir
 Good afternoon: masa’ an-noor
 Thank you: shukran
 You’re welcome: afwan
 Tomorrow : bukra*

7. ARCHITECTURE

8. CONSTRUCTION – THEN AND NOW

9. LITERATURE
Omar Khayyam – poetry

The Moving Finger writes; and, having writ,

Moves on: nor all your Piety nor Wit
Shall lure it back to cancel half a Line,
Nor all your Tears wash out a Word of it.
The Book of One Thousand and One Nights (14th

century)
Ali Baba and the Forty Thieves

 Aladdin’s Wonderful Lamp
 The Seven Voyages of Sinbad the Sailor

10. CULTURE
Many norms based on the Bedouin hospitality rules.

 Gift-giving
 Meals/tea
 Taboos : right hand/left hand, women’s
dress, showing bottom of shoe

11. RELIGION
Islam influences much of day-to-day life

 System of law
 Friday is the holy day -- Saturday – Wednesday
week
 Pray 5 times per day, facing Mecca
 Once in lifetime, hajj to Mecca
 Ramadan – no food/drink sunrise to sunset for a
month

12. TRADITIONAL GARB

13. THINGS TO DO
Shopping

“Souk”

Diving/Snorkeling

Fresh water springs

Eating out… KFC/BR

 Hangin’ with my homies
Portuguese construction families

 Korean construction families
 American and British
military/diplomatic families
 Local well-to-do families
No Wii or Xbox, but…


14. QUESTIONS?