Al-Makharga or Fareeq el-makharga (Arabic: المخارقة) is a district in the Manama Souq, the heart of Manama, the capital of Bahrain. It neighbours the adjacent districts of Fareeq el-Hammam, Fareeq el-Hatab, Fareeg el-Fadhel, Gudaibiya, and the original city of Manama.
Its name derives from the ancient craft of piercing pearls and making jewellery that was one of commercial activities in the neighborhood.
For centuries, it was and still is a stone in the government's throat due to its political rights demands. It holds the most important meetings of the opposition parties. Therefore, meetings of the opposing movements from all over Bahrain were held in the influential Shiite mosque Masjid Mo'min and the Sunni mosque Jami'a Al-Mihza' in Al-Makharga.
Nowadays, it is a sacred district in the old city of Manama, in which religious gatherings are held, especially during the month of Muharram and in Ashura, the sacred day of Shia Islam in which Imam Hussain, the grandson of the prophet Muhammad, was killed by the Umayyad rulers.
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