Bu Maher Fort

Bu Maher stands at the southern tip of Muharraq island, a small fort of 1840 on the seashore from which the pearling boats set out for the oyster beds, and it is the point where the UNESCO pearling property formally begins, inscribed in 2012 along with seventeen buildings in Muharraq and three offshore oyster beds. A visitor centre stands beside it and access is by boat across the channel.

What you actually see

• The seashore fort - the 1840 building the pearling fleet set out from.
• The visitor centre - the interpretation of the pearling property beside the fort.
• The boat access - the crossing to the site from the Muharraq shore.
• The 2012 inscription - the starting point of the UNESCO pearling property.

When to go

November to March is the comfortable season. Boat crossings run on set hours and days. Summer heat on the exposed shore is severe.

Honest expectations

Access is by boat on a limited schedule and must be timed. The fort itself is small and the interest is mostly in what it represents. There is no shade on the site.

Nearby

Muharraq's pearling path is north, and Arad Fort is northeast.