PEARL DIVING in BAHRAIN

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aukepalmhof
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PEARL DIVING in BAHRAIN

Post by aukepalmhof » Tue Jan 09, 2018 8:29 pm

Bahrain issued in 1996 four stamps for the pearl diving which took place in the waters off Bahrain, three stamps shows a dhow of a very recent type and mostly the diving is done now by recreational diving.

Pearl diving in Bahrain was first mentioned in Assyrian texts dating to 2000 BC, referring to "fish eyes" from Dilmun (the ancient name of Bahrain). Bahrain (as Tylos, Bahrain's Greek name) was mentioned by Pliny to have been, "famous for the vast number of its pearls".The golden age of pearling is stated to have been between the 1850s to 1930, when pearls were more precious than diamonds and had attracted jewelers like Jacques Cartier to the country. There were around 30,000 pearl divers by the end of 1930, as pearling was the principal industry in Bahrain prior to the discovery of oil in 1932. After the collapse of the pearling industry, most divers switched to the newly founded oil sector.
Until the pearl diving industry dried up, workers dived without any specialized diving gear. Clutching a weighted rope, they were lowered into the water and held their breath as they collecting promising-looking oysters on the shallows of the sea floor. In the early 1900s, around 30,000 divers braved this work
Currently, the trading of cultured pearls in Bahrain is prohibited. Few pearl divers remain today.

Source: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bahrain_Pearling_Trail Internet.
Bahrain 1996 80/250f sg 571/74 scott 468/471
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