Rasha has a hobby that is helping her rediscover her hometown of Muhharaq—looking at the city through the lens of a camera.

When Rasha went on an exchange program to the United States she bought herself a nice camera to capture the experience. Now, twelve years later, photography is her hobby and passion.

Rasha recently participated in a group exhibition and the photos she displayed were of Muharraq, where she likes to walk the street taking pictures. Muharraq is also home to one of her favorite places in Bahrain.

“Inside the Muharraq souq, the people there are the real Bahrain,” she said, mentioning her favorite spot in the country. “You see the spirit of Bahrain, which is a simple, generous people.”

Rasha sees the spirit of Bahrain in action in many ways while she is out taking pictures. One day in Muharraq she stopped to take a photo of an Indian woman who had lived in Bahrain for more than 30 years. The woman was preparing to move back to India and was upset to be leaving Muharraq because she felt there was no other place like it in the world.

“You see a different mix of religion and backgrounds all working together as a group,” Rasha said. “Everybody here is equal, and everybody is smiling and friendly. The people here are well educated, and socially everybody has a choice. This is what distinguishes Bahrain—you have a choice.”