A defining element of Islamic art is the prohibition against the representation of living creatures. Underlying this prohibition is the assumption that God is the sole author of life. A person who makes a picture of a living being thus seeks to rival God.

Calligraphy is often used for decoration in Islamic culture. Like other Islamic decoration, it is closely linked to geometry. The proportions of each letter are governed by mathematics. Repetition, symmetry and continuous patterns are hallmarks of Islamic design. The arabesque, another decorative feature common in Islamic design, is a stylized pattern like a plant stem that splits at regular intervals, producing secondary stems that split again and are then reintegrated into the main stem.

Traditional Bahraini architecture shares many features with the Islamic architecture of other countries in the Persian Gulf, but has some unique features. Palaces and traditional houses were conceived as a series of pavilions around courtyards. There were usually two courtyards-one for receiving visitors and the other for private living. Small houses had only one courtyard. Most houses had rooftop spaces where the family could take advantage of summer breezes. Walls were constructed of local coral because it is porous and lightweight, and reduces the capacity of the walls to store daytime heat. Traditionally, only the palaces of the sheikhs could be more than one storey high, because two-storey houses would allow people to overlook the sheikh's palace.

The Bahraini poets Ibrahima Al-Urayyid and Ahmad Muhammad Al Khalifah are among the most respected writers in the Gulf. They compose classical Arabian verse about romance and natural beauty. Younger writers experiment with new poetic forms to express the tensions facing contemporary Bahraini society, such as the desire for social justice and political freedom or the effects of Western industrialization on Bahraini life.

Qasim Haddad is one of the more famous contemporary poets and proponents of intellectual and social change. Among his better-known collections of poetry are The Good Omen (1970), Doomsday (1980) and Shrapnel (1983). Ali Abdullah Khalifah is another well-known writer. His books include The Moaning of the Masts (1969) and Illuminating the Memory of the Motherland (1977). Hamdah Khamis, a female journalist and poet, is the author of An Apology for Childhood.

Traditional crafts are practised in several villages. Aali is known for its pottery. Karbabad is famous for woven baskets made from the leaves of date palms. The art of weaving (carpets, wall hangings and cushions) is practised in Bani Jamrah.

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The oud, an ancient Middle Eastern stringed instrument that is a predecessor of the lute, is used to accompany traditional songs in Bahrain.