Before AC, Bahrain Had the Badgeer

The 200-Year-Old Cooling System Hidden Above Bahrain’s Homes

TDT | Manama

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Long before electricity reached Bahrain, traditional homes used a natural cooling system known as the badgeer to circulate air and reduce indoor temperatures.

Bahraini heritage enthusiast Hasan Al Majed, who documents the design and construction of traditional Bahraini homes, explained that the badgeer was a roof tower open on all four sides. It captured wind from whichever direction it came, funnelled the air into the house and helped cool the rooms below.

During winter, the openings could simply be closed when cooling was no longer needed.

Traditional Bahraini homes evolved from early structures made of palm fronds into mud houses built with palm trunks, branches, mud and sea stone. Palm trunks were later replaced by danjal, timber from coastal mangrove trees valued for its strength and resistance to humidity and salt.

Danjal was used not only in roofs but also for livestock pens and fences. Once it was no longer suitable for construction, it could be reused as firewood or charcoal.

The house itself was designed around the climate. Courtyards helped circulate air, while the liwan, a covered veranda, provided a shaded area for family gatherings and receiving guests. A storage room known as the malaha was used to keep provisions, while families could sleep on rooftops during hot summer nights.

The design of these traditional homes reflected a practical response to Bahrain’s heat, humidity and salty coastal environment, relying on natural materials and airflow rather than electricity or mechanical cooling.