At weekends, Bahraini families escape the concrete sprawl of Manama to picnic among the ruins of Qal’at al-Bahrain, an imposing fortress rising from palm groves on the north coast of the island. Locals still call it the Portuguese Fort, after the colonising forces which occupied it in the 16th century. But ask anyone if they know what lies beneath, and the typical response is a blank look and a shrug.

“It really breaks my heart that Bahrainis are not only not aware of their heritage, but they don’t see the importance of protecting it,” says Nadine Boksmati-Fattouh, director of the site’s nearby museum. “So much has already been lost.”