Khamis Mosque

Khamis Mosque stands on Shaikh Salman Road in Khamis, west of central Manama, Bahrain, and is traditionally regarded as one of the oldest mosques in the Gulf. Local tradition links its foundation to the early Islamic period of the seventh century, while the surviving remains show phases of rebuilding in the medieval centuries, including work attributed to around the eleventh century and later additions. Its two slender minarets, built of local stone and gypsum, are the most recognisable features and are considered among the oldest surviving minarets in the region. The mosque's plan is a modest rectangular prayer hall with stone walls, a simple mihrab and carved plasterwork, set within an enclosure. Archaeological investigation and conservation in the later twentieth century revealed the layers of construction and repaired the structure, and the mosque is now managed as a protected heritage site by the Bahraini authorities. The restoration was careful to retain original stonework and inscriptions, and it stabilised the minarets. Because the building is old and fragile, it has the character of a monument more than a modern place of worship, though it remains a consecrated mosque and visitors are expected to respect its status. The site is quiet and uncrowded, set in a mixed residential area near the old road that once connected Manama to western villages. Interpretive signs describe the history and architecture in Arabic and English. The mosque is often visited together with other Islamic and archaeological sites in the northern governorate, as the architecture offers a contrast with the large modern mosques of Manama. Visitors can view the exterior at any daylight hour and enter only outside prayer times, in modest dress with shoes removed.