Holiest of the holy. Set against the backdrop of the sea, Al Fateh Grand Mosque offers a striking picture. With its architecture reflecting several Middle East styles, crowned by the world's largest fibreglass dome and blessed with a tranquillity reserved for the holiest of holy places, the mosque, which accommodates over 7,000 worshippers, truly lives up to its name. Though non-Muslim visitors are welcome, it's important that you dress modestly, cover your head and take off your shoes before entering. For more information and timings, call 1772 7773.

Take a fascinating journey back in time. Situated on the intersection of the Shaikh Hamad Manama-Muharraq causeway and King Faisal Highway, Bahrain National Museum isn't quite walking distance from Bab Al Bahrain but is just minimum fare if you take a taxi.

Built in 1988, the $34 million complex offers a comprehensive view of Bahrain through the ages. Arguably the most interesting of the exhibits in nine halls is a reconstructed ancient burial mound dating to around 2800 BC. The mound was actually plucked from the desert and reassembled in the museum.

Other fascinating exhibits depict life in the Dilmun era, 19th- and 20th-century pearl-diving scenes as well as community life. The museum is a virtual treasurehouse of history, and trust us when we say that even a day is too short to take in everything on display. All in all, this is one visit you'll be telling friends about for a long, long time.

For more information, call 1729 8777.

Museum devoted to Islamic Holy Book. Beit al Quran (quite literally, House of the Quran) is a unique museum, dedicated solely to the Holy Book and works of art inspired by it. The museum itself has distinctively Islamic architecture. Don't miss peeking into the modest mosque and looking at the beautiful rotunda.

Many copies of the Quran you'll see are works of art themselves including an illuminated 12th-century Persian masterpiece or a gold-lettered, eight-sided 16th-century edition.

Some miniature copies of the Quran fit into the palm of the hand and Quranic verses have even been inscribed on a grain of rice.

Call 1729 0404 for more information.

Seven layers of history. Historically, this is one of Bahrain's most important sites. The fort itself was built in the 14th century by the Portuguese but excavations at the site reveal six other distinct eras of the place, dating back to the Dilmun era, or around 3000 BC during which time it may have been the island's capital.