History, culture, and heritage is what bonds countries together. They are the evidence that showcase the context, traditions, and presence of people in a geographical location. Without history and culture, countries become an empty piece of land. The heritage of a land is what brings the place to life. Heritage is not only history that is learned from books; however, it is what shapes, forms, and describes the people in specific context.

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The Early Dilmun culture flourished in the Arabian Gulf more than four thousand years ago, from the middle of the third millennium to about 1700 BC. Its origins lie in the Arabian Peninsula. During its most important and prosperous period, from about 2000 BC, Bahrain became the center of the innovative and independent trading nation. As such, it played a crucial role in the international commerce linking ancient Mesopotamia (modern day Iraq) with the Oman Peninsula and the Indus valley; home of the Harappan culture.

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For the last couple of decades, Bahrain has been a pioneer of both leisure and business tourism in the GCC region. Bahrain’s millennia-long history as a trading hub, duo to its strategic location between Mesopotamia and the Indus Valley, has left it with a rich legacy of archaeological and historical sites.

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With Dilmun burial ground in A'ali being recognized as a UNESCO world heritage site recently and the Qal’at al-Bahrain, located in the capital of Dilmun, having already acquired this recognition in 2005, it is important to tell the story of different Dilmun settlements to Bahrainis.  With the aspiration of making Bahrain into a popular tourist destination, it is important to promote cultural projects in order to showcase the country and its culture to a wider audience. This will allow Bahrain to capitalize on its unique geography and its abundant historical and cultural legacy.

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Dimension 22 competition challenges designers to re-interpret the heritage and rich context of Bahrain’s northern part. Designing a cultural pavilion will shed light and revive the contextual area of the northern part of Bahrain, highlight the importance of the different historical sites, and revive the sacred settlements turning them into a significant tourist area.