ATLAS / WORLD HISTORY IN PICTURES

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Explore 279 entries across places and centuries. Follow an event, compare its context, and examine the evidence.

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1800–1930 CEIn-depth study
Bu Maher Fort, Bahrain, photographed on 18 August 2024. This modern view includes restored fabric; it is not an archival photograph of the pearling industry.
Picture source & rightsDiego Delso, delso.photo · CC BY-SA 4.0 · Resized and converted to WebP; derivative under the same licence · Licence terms

Middle East / Trade

Bahrain: pearling, maritime work and Muharraq

Before oil, pearls connected Bahrain’s offshore oyster beds with crews, merchant houses and overseas markets. Muharraq preserves traces of this maritime economy, not merely the wealth of its most successful traders.

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