Bilad Al Qadeem

• Official Name — Bilad Al Qadeem • Native Name — البلاد القديم • Settlement Type — Town • Subdivision Type — Country • Subdivision Name — Bahrain • Subdivision Type1 — Governorate • Subdivision Name1 — Capital Governorate • Unit Pref — Imperial • Population Blank1 Title — Ethnicities • Population Blank2 Title — Religions

The town is believed to have been one of the earliest settlements on the island of Bahrain. The area was a traditional area of rich agriculture and learning, with multiple date farms, orchards and gardens in the town's vicinity. In the 1600s, the visiting Portuguese explorer Pedro Teixeira noted that the town cultivated an extensive amount of wheat and barley.

Prior to the Portuguese invasion in 1519, Bilad al-Qadeem served as the provincial capital of Bahrain and did so again later when Safavid rule was restored in 1602. The town was traditionally a centre for Twelver Shi`ism, particularly in the Usuli theological thought, and was the seat of the chief mujtahid of the islands, who was the second most influential political figure after the Persian governor. The cleric, locally known as Shaikh al-Ra'is, was carefully chosen from the Safavid capital, Isfahan. • Illustration — Durand Stone replica at the Bahrain National Museum.

The Durand Stone, an artifact that provided the first archaeological evidence of the existence of the Dilmun civilisation in Bahrain, was first discovered here by Captain Edward Law Durand.

In J. G. Lorimer's Gazetteer of the Persian Gulf, the town was described as a large scattered village with some 350 mud houses and ruins in 1908. The village had several quarters including Bilad-ar-Rafi to the west, and the Khamis souq to the northwest where a weekly market was held year long. The ruins of the Madrasah Abu Zaidan (likely the Khamis Mosque) are situated 0.5 mile west of the village. The Abu Zaidan spring was also reported to be located amongst the ruins of the village. The population of Bilad al Qadeem in 1908 consisted of the Baharna, many of whom worked as pearl merchants, tailors and farmers. Amongst crops grown were date palms (estimated number of 11,500), figs, pomegranates, roses, jasmines, and almonds.

Bilad al-Qadeem is a well known site for ancient monuments such as the Khamis Mosque in the Khamis area, Saboor Mosque, Al Darah Mosque, Holy Alawyyah school and Abu-Anbarah cemetery.