Riffa

See also: Riffa Fort

Riffa الرفاع
Riffa Fort
Nickname(s):  رفاع العز Riffa Glory and History
Riffa Location in Bahrain
Coordinates: 26°7′48″N 50°33′18″E
Country	Bahrain
Governorate	Southern Governorate
Settled	1811
Government
• Governor	His Highness Shaikh Khalifa bin Ali bin Khalifa Al Khalifa
• Deputy Governor	Brigadier General Hamad Al Khayyat
Area
• Land	15.8 sq mi (41 km^2)
Population  (2012)
• Total	115,495
Time zone	UTC + 3

Riffa (Arabic: الرفاع, Ar-Rifāʿ)^[1] is the second largest city in the Kingdom of Bahrain in terms of area.^[2] The city is divided into three parts: East Riffa, West Riffa and North Riffa. All three parts are located in the Southern Governorate.

The city is growing fast: during the 2001 census, the population was recorded as 79,550 but by 2008 it was estimated at 111,000.^[3]

History

Riffa was formerly the principal settlement on Bahrain Island, before being supplanted by the port of Manama over the course of the 19th century.^[1]

East Riffa

East Riffa has many attractions; one such attraction is the Bahrain National Stadium, along with a thriving restaurant scene.^[4] The city is also home to stores such as East Riffa Market and Carrefour Market, along with providing entertainment services such as Iron Man Gym and Gaga Zumba Hop. The city is also home to the Al Rayan Medical Complex Hospital.^[5] The city has several shopping malls and two main shopping streets; Riffa Market (سوق الرفاع, Souk ar-Rifa) and Bukuwara Street Market. The former is larger, while the latter is more organised and modernised. Playing golf in the Royal Golf Club is considered one of the top activities to do in the area.^[6]

Even though East Riffa has predominantly been an urban working class area,^[7] in recent times more people are relocating to East Riffa due to East Riffa being one of the most affordable places to live in Bahrain,^[8][9] especially due to the government housing projects.^[10][11][12] The government built council houses in East Riffa and also built more council houses in neighboring towns like Isa Town, Hamad Town and Zayed Town.^[13] East Riffa is also becoming more popular with locals and expats due to the number of new developments and projects being launched, which in turn has grown its real estate market.^[14] A new development, created by Arcapita, called Riffa Views, is a large residential and commercial center.^[15] The project includes artificial lakes, an international school,^[16] commercial districts, supermarkets, and will have access to the recently opened Royal Women's University. Enma Mall and Lulu Hypermarket Mall are new additions to the rapidly increasing commercial centers in East Riffa.

East Riffa has previously been known as one of the most dangerous areas in Bahrain,^[17] particularly because of the political tension and unrest within Sunni-Shia clashes due to the sectarian conflict, along with anti-government protests and demonstrations where as many as hundreds of injuries would occur, some of those injuries even resulting in death,^[18] much like its neighboring village Ma'ameer. These clashes and protests dates back to the 1990s after the Gulf War,^[19][20] but received the most media coverage during the Arab Spring in 2011.^[21][22][23] However, in recent times, unrest has simmered,^[24] and East Riffa is becoming one of the fastest growing areas in Bahrain due to the number of new developments taking place in the area, making it more popular with locals and expats.^[25]

East Riffa is culturally diverse, housing a proportionally mixed Shia-Sunni population along with expats,^[26][27] unlike West Riffa where the majority of the population in West Riffa is Sunni due to the unwritten laws which establishes a quasi-apartheid regime that makes it much more difficult for Shias, along with Ibadis,^[28] to find housing in West Riffa.^[29][30] This has caused many Shias, along with Ibadis, to instead migrate to East Riffa where they can find available and affordable housing,^[31][32][33] which in turn has unfortunately caused political tension and unrest between Sunnis and Shias due to the sectarian conflict,^[34] along with sectarian polarization between Sunnis and Ibadis.^[35]

West Riffa

West Riffa is predominantly a residential area. Most of the ruling family, ministers and business investors live in West Riffa. King Hamad bin Isa Al Khalifa of Bahrain lives there, as well as the Prime Minister, Sheikh Khalifa bin Salman Al Khalifa. Riffa's famous clock tower is located in the centre of West Riffa. The majority of West Riffa's population is Sunni,^[36] unlike East Riffa which houses a more proportionally mixed Shia-Sunni population along with expats.^[37][38]

West Riffa also has various landmarks including the Riffa Palace, where the former rulers of Bahrain, Sheikh Salman bin Hamad and Shaikh Isa bin Salman Al Khalifa lived. West Riffa also is home to well-known springs, Al Hunaynya and Umm Ghwayfa, once considered to be Bahrain's purest and finest water. West Riffa is also home to one of the city's most iconic buildings known as the clock tower, as well as the Riffa Fort, which is also known as Sheikh Salman Bin Ahmad Al Fateh Fort.^[39]

References

Citations

1. EB (1878).
2. National Geospatial-Intelligence Agency
3. World gazetteer ^{[dead link]}
4. Apen-Sadler, Dianne (2019-12-31). "Bahrain area guides: Riffa | Time Out Bahrain". www.timeoutbahrain.com. Retrieved 2024-09-22.
5. root (2022-09-06). "A Guide to East Riffa in the Southern Governorate". Area Guide - OpenSooq. Retrieved 2024-09-22.
6. The Royal Golf Club
7. "Al-Rifāʿ | Middle Eastern City, Ancient History & Archaeology | Britannica". www.britannica.com. Retrieved 2024-09-18.
8. "Your Guide for Best 6 places to Rent in Bahrain". Weetas Real Estate Blog, Market Stats, Real Estate Analysis. 2019-10-27. Retrieved 2024-09-18.
9. "Affordable Neighborhoods in Bahrain: Where to Live on a Budget". Arab MLS.
10. سكن, مدونة (2022-04-10). "Things You Need to Know About Khalifa Town in Bahrain". مدونة سكن. Retrieved 2024-09-18.
11. "Construction of government-funded Bahrain homes 98% complete - Construction Week Online". 2018-06-14. Retrieved 2024-09-18.
12. "Bahrain ministry to distribute 5,000 units in Riyadh Askar project - Construction Week Online". 2020-02-25. Retrieved 2024-09-18.
13. abbas (2007-09-19). "Religious Freedom for Shia in Bahrain :"Systematic Oppression and Marginalization"". BCHR. Retrieved 2024-09-28.
14. Nagar, Tarun (2023-03-14). "Top 20 Cities in Bahrain to Launch Real Estate App". Dev Technosys UAE. Retrieved 2024-09-18.
15. www.riffaviews.com
16. www.rvis.edu.bh
17. Team, Travel Safe (2023-04-28). "10 Most Dangerous Cities in Bahrain". Travel Safe - Abroad. Retrieved 2024-09-22.
18. "Hundreds injured during clashes between rival groups in Bahrain". www.cnn.com. Retrieved 2024-09-22.
19. "Police, protesters clash near Bahrain palace". CTVNews. 2011-03-11. Retrieved 2024-09-22.
20. "Ten years on, Bahrain paralysed by legacy of Arab Spring". France 24. 2021-02-12. Retrieved 2024-09-23.
21. "IMAGO". www.imago-images.com. Retrieved 2024-09-22.
22. Baker, Aryn (2011-03-11). "Tensions Mount in Bahrain as Friday Protests Get Underway". Time. ISSN 0040-781X. Retrieved 2024-09-22.
23. Collett-White, Mike. "Timeline: The 2011 uprising in Bahrain and what's happened since". Reuters.
24. "Ten years on, Bahrain paralysed by legacy of Arab Spring". France 24. 2021-02-12. Retrieved 2024-09-23.
25. "Most Popular Neighborhoods in Bahrain". Find your dream home on propertyfinder.bh. 2017-03-23. Retrieved 2024-09-23.
26. Media, Salam (2014-12-11). "The Persecuted Shia Majority in Bahrain". SALAM DHR. Retrieved 2024-09-28.
27. "Expatriates in Bahrain: where can expats buy property in Bahrain?". Weetas Real Estate Blog, Market Stats, Real Estate Analysis. 2019-09-11. Retrieved 2024-09-28.
28. Louër, Laurence (2015-01-12). "The Arab Spring Effect on Labor Politics in Bahrain and Oman". Arabian Humanities. Revue internationale d'archéologie et de sciences sociales sur la péninsule Arabique/International Journal of Archaeology and Social Sciences in the Arabian Peninsula. 4 (4). doi:10.4000/cy.2865. ISSN 2308-6122.
29. "Sectarian discrimination in the kingdom of Bahrain:The Unwritten Law | Bahrain Center for Human Rights". 2018-12-25. Archived from the original on 2018-12-25. Retrieved 2024-09-28.
30. al-Khawaja, Maryam (2012-10-27). "Beneath Bahrain's Shia-versus-Sunni narrative, only the tyrants benefit". The Guardian. ISSN 0261-3077. Retrieved 2024-09-28.
31. Media, Salam (2014-12-11). "The Persecuted Shia Majority in Bahrain". SALAM DHR. Retrieved 2024-09-28.
32. "Your Guide for Best 6 places to Rent in Bahrain". Weetas Real Estate Blog, Market Stats, Real Estate Analysis. 2019-10-27. Retrieved 2024-09-28.
33. "Affordable Neighborhoods in Bahrain: Where to Live on a Budget". ARAB MLS: Multiple Listing Service.
34. "Hundreds injured during clashes between rival groups in Bahrain". www.cnn.com. Retrieved 2024-09-28.
35. Louër, Laurence (2015-01-12). "The Arab Spring Effect on Labor Politics in Bahrain and Oman". Arabian Humanities. Revue internationale d'archéologie et de sciences sociales sur la péninsule Arabique/International Journal of Archaeology and Social Sciences in the Arabian Peninsula. 4 (4). doi:10.4000/cy.2865. ISSN 2308-6122.
36. "Sectarian discrimination in the kingdom of Bahrain:The Unwritten Law | Bahrain Center for Human Rights". 2018-12-25. Archived from the original on 2018-12-25. Retrieved 2024-09-28.
37. Media, Salam (2014-12-11). "The Persecuted Shia Majority in Bahrain". SALAM DHR. Retrieved 2024-09-28.
38. "Expatriates in Bahrain: where can expats buy property in Bahrain?". Weetas Real Estate Blog, Market Stats, Real Estate Analysis. 2019-09-11. Retrieved 2024-09-28.
39. Apen-Sadler, Dianne (December 31, 2019). "Bahrain area guides: Riffa – Everything you need to know about Bahrain's second largest city". TimeOut.

Bibliography

• "Bahrein" , Encyclopædia Britannica, vol. III (9th ed.), New York: Charles Scribner's Sons, 1878, p. 240.

External links

• Satellite map at Maplandia.com