Pearl Roundabout
Encyclopedia
Pearl Roundabout or Lulu Roundabout (Arabic
: , "Roundabout of the pearl(s)") was a roundabout located near the financial district
of Manama
, Bahrain
. The roundabout
was named after the pearl
monument that previously stood on the site and was destroyed on March 18, 2011, by government forces as part of a crackdown against the 2011 Bahraini uprising
.
(Pearl Towers) apartment complex, which is named after the Pearl Monument. Also near the roundabout are some of the city's major remaining landmarks, including the Bahrain World Trade Center and the Bahrain Financial Harbour
.
The roundabout served originally as a major traffic intersection for routes into the capital city, although it is now bypassed by a flyover and junction complex built as part of Bahrain's 2030 modernization plan.
"sails" projecting up to the sky, which came together to hold a pearl
at the top. The six sails designated the Gulf Cooperation Council's six member nations, while the pearl symbolized their united heritage and the country's famous history of pearl cultivation. At the base of the monument was a dodecagon
al pool with fountain
jets. The Pearl Monument is featured on the face of the Bahraini half-dinar
coin, the highest value coin in Bahraini currency.
.
On 17 February, while demonstrators were spending the night at the Pearl Roundabout, police forces entered the location at 3:00 in an attempt to disperse protesters. The crackdown led to many injuries as well as the death of at least six civilians.
Soon after the police crackdown on demonstrators, Bahraini police official Al-Hassan appeared on national television to explain the previous night's events. Al-Hassan argued that demonstrators were warned beforehand and that they refused to leave the area. He also added that demonstrators were actually in possession of weapons such as knives and pistols.
Soon after the police crackdown, Bahrain Defense Force tanks occupied Pearl Roundabout to stop demonstrators from occupying the area. Some demonstrators who stayed close to Salmaniya Hospital where injured demonstrators were being assisted tried to retake Pearl Roundabout and headed towards the area. Demonstrators were shot by forces camping in Pearl Roundabout.
Following these events, the Crown Prince of Bahrain Salman Al Khalifa
came on Bahrain state television and demanded calm of all parties. The following day, he ordered the military tanks to leave the Pearl Monument and protesters were allowed to occupy the area peacefully and were guaranteed by the Crown Prince that they will be able to demonstrate without any further attacks. On March 16, however, the protesters' camp in the roundabout was evacuated, bulldozed, and set on fire by the Bahraini Defense Force, riot police, and Peninsula Shield Force, two days before the Pearl Monument was destroyed. It has been confirmed that an expatriate worker had died during the demolishing of the monument after a piece of the monument fell on his crane and instantly killed the man.
(category)
Arabic language
Arabic is a name applied to the descendants of the Classical Arabic language of the 6th century AD, used most prominently in the Quran, the Islamic Holy Book...
: , "Roundabout of the pearl(s)") was a roundabout located near the financial district
Financial District
A Financial District is the central area in some large cities where banks, insurance companies and other large corporations have head offices. Financial districts are often home to skyscrapers...
of Manama
Manama
Manama is the capital and largest city of Bahrain, with an approximate population of 155,000 people.Long an important trading center in the Persian Gulf, Manama is home to a very diverse population...
, Bahrain
Bahrain
' , officially the Kingdom of Bahrain , is a small island state near the western shores of the Persian Gulf. It is ruled by the Al Khalifa royal family. The population in 2010 stood at 1,214,705, including 235,108 non-nationals. Formerly an emirate, Bahrain was declared a kingdom in 2002.Bahrain is...
. The roundabout
Roundabout
A roundabout is the name for a road junction in which traffic moves in one direction around a central island. The word dates from the early 20th century. Roundabouts are common in many countries around the world...
was named after the pearl
Pearl
A pearl is a hard object produced within the soft tissue of a living shelled mollusk. Just like the shell of a mollusk, a pearl is made up of calcium carbonate in minute crystalline form, which has been deposited in concentric layers. The ideal pearl is perfectly round and smooth, but many other...
monument that previously stood on the site and was destroyed on March 18, 2011, by government forces as part of a crackdown against the 2011 Bahraini uprising
2011 Bahraini uprising
The 2011 Bahraini uprising, sometimes called the February 14 Revolution is a series of demonstrations, amounting to a sustained campaign of civil resistance, in the Persian Gulf country of Bahrain...
.
Location
The roundabout is located in the heart of the capital Manama and is surrounded by the Bahrain Central Market, Marina, Pearl and City Center Roundabout as well the Abraj Al LuluAbraj Al Lulu
The Abraj Al Lulu is a large residential project located in Manama, the capital city of Bahrain. The entire project consists of three large towers, two of which have 50 floors and one with 40...
(Pearl Towers) apartment complex, which is named after the Pearl Monument. Also near the roundabout are some of the city's major remaining landmarks, including the Bahrain World Trade Center and the Bahrain Financial Harbour
Bahrain Financial Harbour
Bahrain Financial Harbour is a large-scale commercial development project in Manama, the capital of Bahrain....
.
The roundabout served originally as a major traffic intersection for routes into the capital city, although it is now bypassed by a flyover and junction complex built as part of Bahrain's 2030 modernization plan.
Pearl Monument
The Pearl Monument previously stood in the center of the circle, having been erected in 1982 on the occasion of the third summit of the Gulf Cooperation Council, which was hosted by Bahrain for the first time in Manama on November 9-11 of that year.Symbols and representation
The Pearl Monument consisted of six dhowDhow
Dhow is the generic name of a number of traditional sailing vessels with one or more masts with lateen sails used in the Red Sea and Indian Ocean region. Some historians believe the dhow was invented by Arabs but this is disputed by some others. Dhows typically weigh 300 to 500 tons, and have a...
"sails" projecting up to the sky, which came together to hold a pearl
Pearl
A pearl is a hard object produced within the soft tissue of a living shelled mollusk. Just like the shell of a mollusk, a pearl is made up of calcium carbonate in minute crystalline form, which has been deposited in concentric layers. The ideal pearl is perfectly round and smooth, but many other...
at the top. The six sails designated the Gulf Cooperation Council's six member nations, while the pearl symbolized their united heritage and the country's famous history of pearl cultivation. At the base of the monument was a dodecagon
Dodecagon
In geometry, a dodecagon is any polygon with twelve sides and twelve angles.- Regular dodecagon :It usually refers to a regular dodecagon, having all sides of equal length and all angles equal to 150°...
al pool with fountain
Fountain
A fountain is a piece of architecture which pours water into a basin or jets it into the air either to supply drinking water or for decorative or dramatic effect....
jets. The Pearl Monument is featured on the face of the Bahraini half-dinar
Bahraini dinar
The dinar is the currency of Bahrain. It is divided into 1000 fils . The name dinar derives from the Roman denarius. The dinar was introduced in 1965, replacing the Gulf rupee at a rate of 10 rupees = 1 dinar. The Bahraini dinar is abbreviated .د.ب or BD...
coin, the highest value coin in Bahraini currency.
Demolition
On the morning of March 18, 2011, the government tore down the Pearl Monument, announcing on state broadcaster BTV that the monument had been "violated" and "desecrated" by the "vile" anti-government protests, and had to be "cleansed." In the government's haste, a migrant crane worker was crushed to death by a falling cement arch.2011 Bahraini uprising
The Pearl Roundabout was the site of demonstrations during 2011, which began in February. It has been compared by the protesters to Cairo's Tahrir Square, the main site of demonstrations during the 2011 Egyptian revolution2011 Egyptian revolution
The 2011 Egyptian revolution took place following a popular uprising that began on Tuesday, 25 January 2011 and is still continuing as of November 2011. The uprising was mainly a campaign of non-violent civil resistance, which featured a series of demonstrations, marches, acts of civil...
.
On 17 February, while demonstrators were spending the night at the Pearl Roundabout, police forces entered the location at 3:00 in an attempt to disperse protesters. The crackdown led to many injuries as well as the death of at least six civilians.
Soon after the police crackdown on demonstrators, Bahraini police official Al-Hassan appeared on national television to explain the previous night's events. Al-Hassan argued that demonstrators were warned beforehand and that they refused to leave the area. He also added that demonstrators were actually in possession of weapons such as knives and pistols.
Soon after the police crackdown, Bahrain Defense Force tanks occupied Pearl Roundabout to stop demonstrators from occupying the area. Some demonstrators who stayed close to Salmaniya Hospital where injured demonstrators were being assisted tried to retake Pearl Roundabout and headed towards the area. Demonstrators were shot by forces camping in Pearl Roundabout.
Following these events, the Crown Prince of Bahrain Salman Al Khalifa
Salman bin Hamad bin Isa Al Khalifa
Prince Salman bin Hamad bin Isa Al Khalifa, Crown Prince of Bahrain is the heir apparent of the Kingdom of Bahrain, and is deputy supreme commander of the Bahrain defence force...
came on Bahrain state television and demanded calm of all parties. The following day, he ordered the military tanks to leave the Pearl Monument and protesters were allowed to occupy the area peacefully and were guaranteed by the Crown Prince that they will be able to demonstrate without any further attacks. On March 16, however, the protesters' camp in the roundabout was evacuated, bulldozed, and set on fire by the Bahraini Defense Force, riot police, and Peninsula Shield Force, two days before the Pearl Monument was destroyed. It has been confirmed that an expatriate worker had died during the demolishing of the monument after a piece of the monument fell on his crane and instantly killed the man.
Future plans for the site
According to Bahraini authorities, Pearl Roundabout will be replaced by traffic lights, in order to ease the problems of traffic jams in the financial district.Gallery
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