Gold Souvenirs and Art Proposed for Manama
Artwork, fountains, shaded seating and gold Tree of Life souvenirs could help turn Manama’s old alleys into tourist walks under a proposal to make the historic lanes a draw for visitors.
Capital Trustees Board member Dr Abdulhassan Al Dairy said the old lanes should be kept and improved, with Bahraini artists brought in to redesign neglected corners rather than rebuild the area around them.
‘The old alleys of Manama are like a beautiful oil painting,’ he told The Daily Tribune. ‘They need some additions and improvements. We should ask artists to show us how these places in the heart of the capital can be given an artistic touch and turned into tourist routes.’
Waste bins in poor locations could be moved, while walls and corners could be painted or decorated by local artists.
Small fountains and seats could also be placed along the lanes, giving walkers somewhere to stop as they make their way through the souq.
But making the alleys worth visiting would solve only half the problem. Visitors still need somewhere to park.
‘Why would someone go to Manama and keep driving around looking for a parking space when they can go to a mall where the car park is ready?’ Dr Al Dairy said.
His answer is to build upwards.
He is working on a plan for automated car parks for small vacant plots, including land linked to the Ja’fari Endowments. A site of about 150 square metres could hold a five or six-storey structure, he said.
Drivers would leave their cars at the entrance before a lift carries each vehicle to an empty bay and brings it down again on their return.
Sensors and digital signs could direct motorists to free spaces before they enter crowded streets, while hourly charges of about 500 fils to BD1 or BD2 could rise with longer stays to keep bays turning over for shoppers.
Once visitors arrive, Dr Al Dairy wants the souq to offer goods they would be unlikely to find in a modern mall.
Gold and gold-plated Trees of Life, miniature Bab Al Bahrain pieces, framed Bahraini pearls, Arabian horses and palm-tree designs are among his ideas.
With gold costing above BD50 a gram, he said souvenirs need not contain large amounts of it.
Higher-priced pieces could use half a gram, one gram or two grams of gold, while lower-priced versions could be made from gold-plated metal, silver or bronze.
Prices could start at about BD5 or BD10 and rise to around BD100.
‘What we see every day may seem ordinary to us, but to a visitor it is something new,’ Dr Al Dairy said. ‘The item needs a story. The tourist should be able to take something home that tells the story of Bahrain.’
He also wants Manama Retro to run through the year rather than remain tied to one season.
The event, he said, had shown that large crowds could be handled, with golf carts among the ways used to carry visitors between parking areas and the souq.
Young Bahraini artists and organisers could run similar events in different parts of Manama.
Older shopping centres such as Yateem Centre and Al Zaina Complex also needed attractions people would make the trip for, he said.
Traditional cafés were one example. Parking deals were another.
Dr Al Dairy pointed to schemes where customers receive an hour of free parking after buying from a shop or café.
‘You need to ask what will make somebody come specifically to the market,’ he said. ‘Sometimes people will make the trip just for one café or one place they know they cannot find elsewhere.’
Dr Al Dairy said old Manama already had streets, markets and landmarks that malls could not reproduce.
‘Every problem has a solution,’ he said. ‘Manama has history and character. We have to make it easier for people to come and give them a reason to stay.’
Related Posts