The Siyadi complex, created by one of Bahrain’s leading grand pearl merchant families (tajir al-lu’lu’), consists of three interrelated buildings: Siyadi House, a family residence built by Abdullah bin Isa Siyadi; Siyadi Majlis, a second family residence with an impressive guest room built by Ahmad bin Jassim Siyadi; and Siyadi Mosque, donated to the community by Isa and Jassim bin Ahmad Siyadi.
The Siyadis settled in Muharraq in the early 19th century. As grand pearl merchants, the family owned its own pearling fleet and was guaranteed of its annual pearl catch. The immense wealth generated from pearls allowed the family to build the Siyadi complex.
The exquisitely decorated Siyadi Majlis, the pearling era’s only four-storey building, is the jewel of the nominated pearling testimony. Its ground floor apartments, built in 1850, are among the earliest stone structures in Muharraq. Added in 1921, the majlis offers the last remaining example in which a tijar al-lu’lu’ received pearl merchants from as far away as India and Europe to negotiate over his special pearl collections.
Siyadi Majlis, 2016 Camille Zakharia
79, Lane 910, Block 209