Guide Map of the Bahrain Islands, 1953

James Belgrave’s Guide Map of the Bahrain Islands (1953) is an important mid-twentieth-century cartographic document reflecting Bahrain’s transition from a traditional Gulf society to a modern, oil-driven state. Produced during a period of rapid economic and infrastructural development, the map was designed as both a practical guide and a visual statement of modernization.

The map depicts the Bahrain archipelago with clear emphasis on Bahrain Island and Muharraq, highlighting towns, villages, road networks, causeways, and coastal features. Manama appears as the administrative and commercial center, while ports, airfields, and industrial sites signal the growing importance of trade and petroleum infrastructure. Roads are prominently shown, underscoring the expansion of internal connectivity in the years following the discovery of oil in 1932. Smaller settlements, palm groves, and coastal contours are carefully rendered, offering insight into the spatial organization of the islands before large-scale urban expansion.

Stylistically, the map is utilitarian and legible, favoring clarity over ornament. Its restrained graphic design reflects postwar British cartographic conventions, with clean linework, standardized symbols, and a balanced layout suitable for administrative, commercial, and educational use. The map’s English labeling reflects Bahrain’s status as a British-protected state at the time, as well as its increasing engagement with international audiences.

Historically, the map is closely associated with Sir James Belgrave, the long-serving British adviser to the rulers of Bahrain. As such, it embodies the administrative perspective of governance, planning, and modernization promoted during his tenure. Today, the Guide Map of the Bahrain Islands is valued as a historical record of Bahrain’s landscape prior to extensive land reclamation and urban growth. It captures a pivotal moment in the islands’ evolution, when traditional geography and emerging modern infrastructure coexisted in a rapidly changing Gulf society.