08.22.07
Jebel Al Dukhan- Restricted Area
Yesterday I had the chance to go to Jebel Al Dukhan, which is proclaimed to be the highest point in Bahrain at 122 m. I went there to collect some rocks for my fish tank at home.
My earliest memories in Jebel Al Dukhan involves my sisters and I trying to explore around and racing each other. I haven’t been there a lot, just a few times. However, I’ve always enjoyed being in Bahrain’s “Great outdoors” 
I think that all of the open spaces in that area can be utilized in many useful ways. To start with, it is a great space to build hospitals, schools, stadiums, theme parks… Almost anything can be built there!
Sooo many housing projects can be built there, housing thousands of people instead of confining people to old houses that could fall apart anytime.
I went there to collect rocks and to take some pictures.. I would have loved to take pictures there. I went there at 6 pm, and didn’t leave until after sunset. The sky was fantastic, and the beautiful brown hills artistically complemented the bright blue sky. Just as I was planning which angles would be best for a photograph, a green sign caught my eyesight:
“Restricted Area: No Photography!”
So I thought, well, maybe they’re digging for gold or something :s and like any good Bahraini citizen, I turned somewhere else to start clicking my camera. To my surprise, I spotted the sign everywhere else!!
How frustating is that? Number one.. I don’t get to take pictures of really beautiful places. Number two.. I don’t have the liberty of doing this in my OWN country!
The outcome of this very short trip: Beautful rocks for my fish tank, and a bitter feeling of disappointment.
Yagoob's Dome said,
August 23, 2007 at 1:20 am
Ilhamdulillah you didn’t get caught! I once took photographs and was caught and was escorted to the police station in a jeep! This was nearly three or four years ago near Safra, I climbed the hill which is by the main road leading to Awali and started taking pictures of Safra, and when I came down this policeman comes to me speaking English (I was wearing shorts and a backpack..so I did look like a tourist) and basically told me mamnoo3! why? Because the King’s Palace was on the other side of that hill!
So I get escorted in a jeep to the West Riffa Police Station and they confisgated my camera and took my CPR card as well and was asked to come in the following morning.
The next day, a lieutenent at the station interrogates me asking me why I was there and who was with me and where I left my car (I didn’t have a drivers license then and went there hiking) trying to make me a bloody terrorist! Luckilly he returns the camera but takes the film for developing..
After two very long weeks they call me in once again and ilhamdulillah they didn’t find anything threatening in the pics and the funny thing was when I opened the envelope in which the pictures were in, the first picture I pulled out was a pic of one of my friends pulling funny faces at a pool we rented a few days before that fiasco! Sweet!
So when you see no photography don’t take pictures because you will get caught! اسأل مجرب
ammaro.com said,
August 23, 2007 at 3:41 pm
thats stupid! we’re under constant watch in our own country!
you wanna whats really stupid as well? I was driving once on the road behind the airport (near galali, samaheej, hidd) and had to stop my car because i had a flat tire. Got out, started changing it, and within one minute i had a huge police jeep stop infront of me, point their huge anti-aircraft looking gun at me and question why the hell I had stopped there. WELL WHAT THE FACK DOES IT LOOK LIKE, YOU DUMASSES? Do you think I change my car tires on the side of the road every now and then for FUN?
lizardo said,
August 23, 2007 at 3:49 pm
seefmall air conditioners !
One in a Million said,
August 23, 2007 at 4:04 pm
What a story, Yagoob!
I’m glad you’re fine and free..
I usually abide by the law, but tried very hard this time to resist the urge of taking photos at Jebel Al Dukhan. It is such a lovely place, and I think that it deserves to be presented in a nice way for the public. I’m pretty sure that there are some people in Bahrain that have no idea about that beautiful place.
So this goes to everyone.. Whenever there is a “no photography” sign, never risk it and shoot photos, for you might get in trouble over something that might not even be worth it.
——
Ammar
I know, it is so annoying!
Even if someone wanted to blow up the place, they won’t bother and pretend that they’re changing a flat tire!
grrrr!
——
lizardo
I didn’t get it :s
Didn’t you all notice that the some of the most beautiful places that could make really nice photographs are restricted areas?
lizardo said,
August 24, 2007 at 1:08 am
i meant that they’re letin us to hangaround in seef la what do we need more
ammaro.com said,
August 30, 2007 at 8:14 am
just ignore them, snap away as many photos as you want. if they come tell them oh, sorry, pretend you deleted them. these guys have no idea how technology works anyway
One in a Million said,
September 7, 2007 at 1:30 am
lizardo,
seef is soo boring.. t3awadna 3alaih, and the alternatives range from limited to nonexistent!
ammaro,
lol That could be true, maybe I should try doing this one day. If I got caught, I’ll tell them it was your idea