The Kingdom of Bahrain, located in the Persian Gulf, first of all, belongs to the smallest Arab states. Secondly, it can be called the most mysterious and enigmatic, since information about it cannot be found even on the World Wide Web. Thirdly, according to many researchers, Bahrain's coat of arms is one of the most stylish on the planet.
It is distinguished by a small number of symbols, laconic performance and deep meaning. Oddly enough, the main official symbol of Bahrain was developed not by local artists and heraldists, but by an Englishman, whose name, fortunately, history has preserved.
Charles Belgrave and his role in the history of Bahrain
It was this representative of foggy Albion who stood at the origins of Bahrain's statehood. In the 1930s, Charles Belgrave was an adviser to the Emir of Bahrain and had a hand not only in creating the main official symbol of the kingdom, but also in other historical and cultural values.
Both the coat of arms and the state flag of Bahrain are made in the same style, with only two colors used: white, corresponding to silver in heraldry; scarlet.
The first to appear was the state flag. Initially, it was a red cloth, which was associated with the Muslim sect of the Kharijites. The white vertical stripe at the bottom appeared after negotiations with the UK.
But in order to distinguish the white and red flag from similar flags, the white stripe was limited to a zigzag, a unique case in the history of state symbols. Since 1972, the zigzag has become more rare, now you can count five white triangles on it, symbolizing the same number of pillars of Islam.
When creating the coat of arms of Bahrain, it was decided to preserve the same colors, silver and scarlet, as the richest and most beautiful. The zigzag has also survived, only it is located horizontally. The coat of arms itself looks like a shield surrounded on all sides by red and white mint.
Bab Al Bahrain - an architectural monument
The literal translation of the name of the architectural structure is the Bahrain Gate. This unique architectural object is located in the business center of the capital, it serves as an entrance to one of the oldest bazaars - Manama Souk.
It unites it with the state symbols of the Kingdom of Bahrain that the same Charles Belgrave was involved in the development of its design. And if the flag appeared in the 1930s, then this architectural monument was erected much later. Since 1945, he has been decorating one of the squares of Manama.
