المنامة (al-Manāmah)
المنامة (al-Manāmah)1 is the capital of البحرين (al-Bahrayn or Bahrain) and has a population of 157 thousand; its metropolitan area, with 330 thousand residents, extends over the entire of the main two islands that constitute most of the country.2 The busy al-Muḥarraq Airport is located northeast of the city proper on another island. The former city and one time capital of Dilmun, now a UNESCO World Heritage Site is west of the city proper on the main island's north coast. The site is a 12 meter tell topped by a Portuguese fort. Within the mound are remains from 2300 BCE to the 16th century CE.3 The city's tallest buildings are the Dual Towers, at 853 feet.4
External references
skyline of al-Manāmah from the water
Footnotes
1. Manama in English.
2. City and metropolitan populations for 2010 are from http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Manama, side banner, accessed 1/7/2014.
3. UNESCO, World Heritage Sites (Firefly Books, 2010).
4. emporis.com, accessed 1/7/2014.
