Fareej el-Makharqa
Fareej el-Makharqa or Al-Makharga (Arabic: فريج المخارقة) is a neighborhood in the heart of Manama, the capital of Bahrain. It is adjacent to Fareej el-Hammam, Fareej el-Hatab, Fareej el-Fadhel, and Gudaibiya.
History
Its name derives from the ancient craft of piercing pearls and making jewelery.
Fareej el-Makharqa 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 Mu'min and the Sunni mosque Jami'a Al-Mihza'.
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 ruler Yazid ibn Muawiyah.
Matams
Some of the matams or hussainias in Al Makharga are:
- Matam Bin Rajab, مأتم بن رجب first Matam in all of Manama
- Matam Madan مأتم مدن
- Matam Bin Zabar
- Matam Alajam Alkabeer مأتم العجم الكبير
- Matam Algassab مأتم القصاب
- Matam Bin Saloom مأتم بن سلوم
- Matam Alahsaiyeen مأتم الأحسائيين
- Matam Aljahramiya مأتم الجهرمية
- Matam Alajah مأتم العجة
- Matam Bin Khalaf مأتم بن خلف
- Matam Dashti مأتم دشتي
- Matam AlBad'e مأتم البدع
- Matam Abu Aqlain مأتم أبو عقلين
- Matam Al Aghtam مأتم الأغتم
