Cathedral of Our Lady of Arabia, Catholic cathedral in Awali, Bahrain
The Cathedral of Our Lady of Arabia is a modern church building with an octagonal dome shaped like a tent and seating capacity for about 2300 worshippers. The structure includes two chapels and separate confession rooms for pastoral care.
The cathedral was built after King Hamad bin Isa Al Khalifa donated land for it in 2013, with construction beginning in 2014. The official opening in 2021 marked a significant milestone for the Catholic community on the Arabian Peninsula.
Services are conducted in multiple languages including English, Arabic, Tagalog, Malayalam, and Konkani to serve worshippers from different backgrounds. This linguistic diversity reflects the multicultural makeup of the region's faith communities.
Visiting on weekdays makes it easier to navigate than on weekends when attendance is higher. The two chapels provide alternative spaces if the main worship area reaches capacity.
The foundation stone of the cathedral comes from the Holy Door of Saint Peter's Basilica in Vatican City. This symbolic connection links the building directly to the center of the Catholic Church.
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