Bahrain Banknotes 20 Bahraini Dinars bank note 2008 Central Bank of Bahrain
The distinctive colours of this denomination are now brown and light blue. On the front side, the banknote bears an image of His Majesty King Hamad Bin Isa Al Khalifa, King of Bahrain, while the reverse side features the Ahmed Al Fateh Islamic Center.
Watermark: When the BD 20 banknote held up to light, you will see portrait of His Majesty King Hamad Bin Isa Al Khalifa, King of Bahrain, together with the value of the note, in the clear central area. This can be viewed from both sides of the banknote.
Bahrain banknotes - Bahrain paper money
Central Bank of Bahrain - 2008 Issue
Hamad bin Isa bin Salman Al Khalifa (born January 28, 1950) is the 1st King of Bahrain (since 14 February 2002), having previously been its 2nd Emir (from March 6, 1999). He is the son of Isa bin Salman Al Khalifa, the previous and 1st Emir. The country has been ruled by the Al Khalifa dynasty since 1783.
Ahmed Al Fateh Islamic Center
The Al-Fateh Mosque (also known as Al-Fateh Islamic Center & Al Fateh Grand Mosque) is one of the largest mosques in the world, encompassing 6,500 square meters and having the capacity to accommodate over 7,000 worshippers at a time. The mosque was built by the late Sheikh Isa ibn Salman Al Khalifa in 1987 and was named after Ahmed Al Fateh, the conqueror of Bahrain. In 2006, Al-Fateh became the site of the National Library of Bahrain.
The mosque is the largest place of worship in Bahrain. It is located next to the King Faisal Highway in Juffair, which is a town located in the capital city of Manama. The huge dome built on top of the Al-Fatih Mosque is constructed entirely of fiberglass. Weighing over 60 t (60,000 kg), the dome is currently the world's largest fiberglass dome. The marble used in the floors is Italian and the chandelier is from Austria. The doors are made of teak wood from India. Throughout the mosque are calligraphy writings in a very old type of style called Kufic.
The library of Ahmed Al-Fateh Islamic Center has around 7000 books, some as old as 100 years or more. These include copies of the books of the teachings of Prophet Muhammad or what is referred to as the books of Hadith, the Global Arabic Encyclopedia, the Encyclopedia of Islamic Jurisprudence, Al-Azhar journals which have been printed more than a hundred years ago, as well as numerous periodicals and magazines.
Besides being a place of worship, the mosque is one of the premier tourist attractions in Bahrain. It is open from 9am to 5pm and tours are conducted in a variety of languages including English, French, Filipino, and Russian. The mosque is closed to visitors and tourists on all Fridays and other holidays.