Trips Places Foods Stories Newsletters

Take your next trip with Atlas Obscura!

Our small-group adventures are inspired by our Atlas of the world's most fascinating places, the stories behind them, and the people who bring them to life.

Visit Adventures
Trips Highlight
Puglia Italy - Matera
Italy • 8 days, 7 nights
Southern Italy: Castles, Caves & Coastal Treasures in Puglia
from
Turkmenistan Gates of Hell Darvaza crater
Turkmenistan • 10 days, 9 nights
Turkmenistan & the Gates of Hell
from
View all trips
Top Destinations
Latest Places
Most Popular Places Random Place Lists Itineraries
Add a Place
Download the App
Top Destinations
View All Destinations »

Countries

  • Australia
  • Canada
  • China
  • France
  • Germany
  • India
  • Italy
  • Japan

Cities

  • Amsterdam
  • Barcelona
  • Beijing
  • Berlin
  • Boston
  • Budapest
  • Chicago
  • London
  • Los Angeles
  • Mexico City
  • Montreal
  • Moscow
  • New Orleans
  • New York City
  • Paris
  • Philadelphia
  • Rome
  • San Francisco
  • Seattle
  • Stockholm
  • Tokyo
  • Toronto
  • Vienna
  • Washington, D.C.
Latest Places
View All Places »
Pinal Airpark
Note the chrysanthemum crests.
Hachiman Bridge
Clarendon War Memorial.
Clarendon War Memorial
This fried chicken is one of Bangkok’s most famous.
Gai Tord Jae Kee
Latest Places to Eat & Drink
View All Places to Eat »
Everything at Li’l Dizzy’s Cafe is served in takeout containers.
Li’l Dizzy’s Cafe
The fried green tomato sandwich comes on jalapeño cornbread toast.
Café Reconcile
BBQ shrimp braised in beer are a popular menu item.
High Hat Cafe
The pastries at Lagniappe Bakehouse are worth waking up for.
Lagniappe Bakehouse
Peter Vazquez has been quietly making a name for himself for years.
The Appetite Repair Shop
Recent Stories
All Stories Video Podcast
Most Recent Stories
View All Stories »
Haleakalā National Park’s summit region, shrouded in the pre-dawn fog.
Beware the Legends Behind These National Park Souvenirs
9 days ago
For Aguilar-Carrasco, nature is a powerful reminder of the interconnectedness of all life.
How Can National Parks Be Made Accessible to All? AO Wants to Know.
10 days ago
Podcast: Finding ‘The Great Gatsby’ in Louisville
11 days ago
Here’s which treats you can safely lug home without risking a fine.
Dear Atlas: What International Food Can I Legally Bring Into the U.S.?
12 days ago

No search results found for
“”

Make sure words are spelled correctly.

Try searching for a travel destination.

Places near me Random place

Popular Destinations

  • Paris
  • London
  • New York
  • Berlin
  • Rome
  • Los Angeles
Trips Places Foods Stories Newsletters
Sign In Join
Places near me Random place
All Bahrain ‘Madbasa’
AO Edited Gastro Obscura

‘Madbasa’

This underground art installation recreates an ancient date honey storeroom.

Karbabad, Bahrain

Added By
Fred Cherrygarden
Email
Been Here
Want to go
Added to list
Step inside an ancient date honey storeroom.   Fred Cherrygarden / Atlas Obscura User
Step inside an ancient date honey storeroom.   Fred Cherrygarden / Atlas Obscura User
A French artist brought new life to this historic place.   Fred Cherrygarden / Atlas Obscura User
Enter here to view the artwork.   Fred Cherrygarden / Atlas Obscura User
The temperature drops dramatically as you enter.   Fred Cherrygarden / Atlas Obscura User
Date honey has been an integral part of the region’s cuisine for centuries.   Fred Cherrygarden / Atlas Obscura User
The floor glows golden in reference to the sweet, valuable contents it once contained.   Fred Cherrygarden / Atlas Obscura User
Been Here
Want to go
Added to list

About

Originally founded circa 2300 B.C. as the capital of the Dilmun civilization, the Qal'at al-Bahrain, or the Bahrain Fort, is a major archaeological site and UNESCO World Heritage Site on the northern coast of Bahrain, facing the waters of the Persian Gulf.

The fortification saw a continuous human presence for millennia up until the 18th century, as attested by its seven layers of archaeological remains, most notably occupied by the Portuguese.

In the mid-13th century, the ruling Salgharid family installed eight chambers known as madbasa to the fort, though archaeological remains suggest that there had already been one at the site even 2,000 years before that. An integral part of traditional Gulf Arabian culture, a madbasa is a storeroom used to collect date juice for the production of dibis, or date honey, a popular syrup in the Middle East.

In the madbasa, parallel channels were cut into the floor, upon which ripe dates were piled up, so that the juice would be squeezed out by the heat and the pressure. The juice then flowed down the channels into earthenware jars.

Conceived by French artist Marie-Françoise Rouy and sound designer Luc Martinez, the art installation simply titled Madbasa was unveiled in one of the chambers of this ancient fort, part of its interactive art project, evoking the significance of the site.

Related Tags

Honey Dates Fortresses Forts Archeology

Know Before You Go

To find the entrance, head to what was once the back of the fort.

Community Contributors

Added By

Fred Cherrygarden

Published

June 3, 2024

Edit this listing

Make an Edit
Add Photos
‘Madbasa’
892 3618
Karbabad
Bahrain
26.232969, 50.519806
Get Directions

Nearby Places

Barbar Temple

Barbar, Bahrain

miles away

Bahrain World Trade Center

Manama, Bahrain

miles away

The Legends of Dilmun

Manama, Bahrain

miles away

Explore the Destination Guide

Photo of Bahrain

Bahrain

Middle East

Places 7

Nearby Places

Barbar Temple

Barbar, Bahrain

miles away

Bahrain World Trade Center

Manama, Bahrain

miles away

The Legends of Dilmun

Manama, Bahrain

miles away

Explore the Destination Guide

Photo of Bahrain

Bahrain

Middle East

Places 7

Related Places

  • Altit, Pakistan

    Altit Fort

    The history of the oldest fort in Baltistan is steeped in familial rivalry and gruesome deaths.

  • Hisardžik, Serbia

    Mileševac Fortress

    This medieval fortress guards a monastery near the border of Serbia and Montenegro.

  • Stockbridge, England

    Danebury Hillfort

    One of the most studied Iron Age settlements in Europe.

  • Red-stone castle ruins sit atop a green hill

    Allinge, Denmark

    Hammershus Castle Ruins

    Northern Europe’s largest castle ruins sit precariously on an island cliffside.

  • Spakenes kystfort

    Rotsund, Norway

    Spåkenes Coastal Fort

    The gnarled remains of an exploded German bunker from World War II sit along a breathtaking fjord.

  • Fernandina Beach, Florida

    Fort Clinch

    Used as a military post in three different engagements, this fort has remained incomplete and unfired upon for nearly 200 years.

  • The fort cuts an imposing figure from the sea.

    Civitavecchia, Italy

    Fort Michelangelo

    The famous sculptor had a hand in this imposing fortress.

  • Zsámbék, Hungary

    Premontre Monastery Church of Zsámbék

    The remains of a 13th-century Romanesque church lie abandoned on a hillside.

Aerial image of Vietnam, displaying the picturesque rice terraces, characterized by their layered, verdant fields.
Atlas Obscura Membership

Become an Atlas Obscura Member


Join our community of curious explorers.

Become a Member

Get Our Email Newsletter

Follow Us

Facebook YouTube TikTok Instagram Pinterest RSS Feed

Get the app

Download the App
Download on the Apple App Store Get it on Google Play
  • All Places
  • Latest Places
  • Most Popular
  • Places to Eat
  • Random
  • Nearby
  • Add a Place
  • Stories
  • Food & Drink
  • Itineraries
  • Lists
  • Video
  • Podcast
  • Newsletters
  • All Trips
  • Family Trip
  • Food & Drink
  • History & Culture
  • Wildlife & Nature
  • FAQ
  • Membership
  • Feedback & Ideas
  • Community Guidelines
  • Product Blog
  • Unique Gifts
  • Work With Us
  • About
  • FAQ
  • Advertise With Us
  • Advertising Guidelines
  • Privacy Policy
  • Cookie Policy
  • Terms of Use
Atlas Obscura

© 2025 Atlas Obscura. All Rights Reserved.