Arad Fort, 15th century fort in Arad, Bahrain

Arad Fort is a 15th century fortress with a square layout and cylindrical towers at each corner. The structure is surrounded by a trench that once held water from local wells.

Arad Fort was built in the late 15th or early 16th century in the style of Islamic forts, before the Portuguese invasion of Bahrain in 1622. A Portuguese map, Demonstracao da Ilha de Baren, circa 1635, shows the fort under siege and with outer and inner walls. It later served as a defensive fortress from the Portuguese occupation through the reign of Shaikh Salman Bin Ahmed Al-Khalifa in the 19th century.

The structure shows military Islamic architecture with specialized shooting positions that have nose-shaped openings along the upper defensive walls. These openings allowed defenders to respond to attacks while staying protected from enemy fire.

The fort stands in Arad on Muharraq Island, a short drive from Bahrain International Airport. The square plan and corner towers are best seen on foot, so wear shoes suited to gravel and stone. The site is open every day of the week, and the restored walls are lit after dark.

The fort's south bastion once held a cannon aimed straight down the narrow entrance channel, which reefs on either side narrowed into Muharraq Bay. Architect Archie Walls directed the 1984–1987 restoration after studying the original materials, and identified the 'layered technique' used in the walls, a method rooted in mud-brick construction.