Bahrain funeral rites at the Hermitage

On July 2, the welcoming doors of the Hermitage were opened for an Arab guest - an exposition of the National Museum of Bahrain, dedicated to the peculiarities of funeral rituals and traditions that accompany a person’s departure to the afterlife. Each item presented in the Hermitage has a sacred meaning. 250 exhibits were collected during half a century of archaeological excavations by Danish and French explorers of Bahrain, whose history begins in the distant third millennium BC.

However, in order to present a complete picture of the change in attitude towards death among this nation, which is considered among the neighboring states, almost a paradise, it would be necessary to transfer the entire collection of the Bahrain museum to Russia. Therefore, the exhibition is dedicated to a crucial era when Hellenistic influence invaded traditional culture. The campaigns of Alexander of Macedon gave this country a new name - Tilos and reorganized the culture to their own standards. However, a complete transformation did not happen, so visitors will be able to observe an interesting symbiosis of the two cultures, clearly manifested in how the Bahraini prepared their dead for a trip to the afterlife.

Entering the exhibition hall, as if you are in an ancient necropolis. The illusion of presence is enhanced by various video effects and impressive exhibits - a wooden sarcophagus, ceramic vessels - burial places for young children. Gold, silver and bronze jewelry, ivory, ceramics, weapons, coins and food, original steles - all this will allow modern people to understand how the inhabitants of Tilos lived and what they believed.

Eve Istr