We are proud to announce the launch of Qal'at al-Bahrain on CyArk. This site was contributed to our archive by SCDS Group who collected the data in collaboration with the Kingdom of Bahrain Ministry of Culture and Information. In 2006, as high-definition documentation of Bahraini heritage became crucial, H.E. Sheikha Mai bint Mohammed Al-Khalifa, then Assistant Undersecretary for Culture and National Heritage, and today’s Minister of Culture and Information, had the vision of digitizing the fortifications and excavated areas.

SCDS Group, present in Bahrain continuously since 2004, was awarded Qal’at al-Bahrain project and completed the field work in June 2007.

This project marks the second in the CyArk Archive to be contributed completely remotely through the use of CyArk's web-based software SiteManager. Christofori Und Partner was the first to use SiteManager to contribute a project; contributing Saint Sebald Church in March 2008.

Qal'at al-Bahrain is the first project in the CyArk Archive to utilize the Leica application TruView. CyArk's own 3D Viewer has been in use for several years now, providing users with the experience to manipulate 3D point clouds of entire structures via the Internet. Leica's TruView provides a unique compliment to CyArk's viewer in that it places the user inside the point cloud and allows the user to navigate via a panoramic photo. Using the applications together provides the user with a much richer experience of Qal'at al-Bahrain.

President of SCDS Group Sorin Busuioc wrote about his experience on the project: "“We are all very pleased to see Qal’at al-Bahrain project in CyArk 3D Heritage Archive Network. Site virtual touring was so effectively integrated into CyArk SITE MANAGER™ through Leica’s TruViews."

We look forward to future projects with SCDS Group as well as expanding the use of TruView throughout the CyArk website.