The Muharraq Governorate (Arabic: محافظة المحرق; transliterated: Muhafazat al-Muharaq) is one of the five governorates of Bahrain. It includes parts of the municipalities of Al Hadd and Al Muharraq.

The centre of Muharraq contains some of the oldest residential properties in the Kingdom, many of which have been rented out by their Bahraini owners to expatriate workers. There are also many buildings of historic interest in the town's crowded lanes, including the Shaikh Isa bin Ali House, Siyadi House, the wind towers, and the neighbourhood of journalist Abdullah Al Zayed House, as well as the impressive Arad Fort.

The government has been accused on not putting enough money into the restoration of these historic sites to turn them into tourist attractions. The head of Salafist Asalah party, Ghanim Al Buaneen, responded to news that the government was to invest BD5 million into protecting these sites was dismissed as too little and said the island needed between BD50 million and BD100 million for the facelift of entire old areas. While Al Menbar MP Dr Ali Ahmed said the effort to preserve Bahrain's traditions had not been a success story due to the government's poor planning and the public unawareness about the initiatives. “Although Muharrraq has a lot to offer to tourists, how can we attract them if most of our traditional sites are in crowded areas?"

Local councillor Majeed Karimi came to international prominence in 2005 when his spearheaded Islamist party, Al Wefaq's campaign decided to ban lingerie mannequins, blaming them for rising divorce rates in the area. While Al Menbar local councillor, Saleh Al Jowder, launched his bid for a parliamentary seat in 2006's election by announcing that the council would deal with complaints about peeping toms by fitting all multistorey buildings with one way glass so that residents cannot see out.

Muharraq island is also the site of Bahrain International Airport, although the local Asalah MP has called for it to be relocated because the sound of aeroplanes landing and taking off has disturbed local residents.

Al Hadd (Arabic: الحد) was a small municipality of Bahrain in the northeastern part of the country. Its territory is now in the Muharraq Governorate.

Al Muharraq (Arabic: المحرق) (meaning Place of Ashes), Bahrain's capital until the 1923, has always long been a centre of religiosity. The city's origins are ancient, going back to the time of Dilmun some five thousand years ago, but it came to prominence in the historical records during the era of Tylos when Bahrain came under domination of the Selucid Greeks, and Muharraq was the centre of a pagan cult dedicated to the shark god, Awal. The city's inhabitants, who depended upon seafaring and trade for their livelihood, worshipped Awal in the form of a large statue of a shark located in the city. By the fifth century AD, Muharraq had become a major centre of Nestorian Christianity, which had come to dominate the southern shores of the Gulf. As a sect, the Nestorians were often persecuted as heretics by the Byzantine Empire, but Bahrain was outside the Empire's control offering some safety. The names of several of Muharraq's villages today reflect this Christian legacy, with Al-Daih meaning 'the monastry' and Qalili meaning a 'monk's cloisters'. The area remains a bastion of religious belief today as the stronghold of Bahrain's main salafist party, Asalah. With most women veiled, as a city it is considered notably more conservative than other parts of Bahrain. Bahrain International Airport is located on the island, although religious extremist MPs have sought to have it move to another part of the country after residents complained of 'noise pollution'. Muharraq island is also home to Muharraq Club, which is the oldest sports club in the Gulf region. Muharraq Club has won the Bahraini Football Premier League 27 times.