Hili, north Al Ain · Abu Dhabi
Hili Archaeological Park
One of the most important Bronze Age sites in the Gulf, laid out as a public park. The centrepiece is the Hili Grand Tomb, a circular communal tomb of around 2500 BCE with carved reliefs of people and animals on its entrances, standing intact among the lawns. Part of the UNESCO listing, and free.
Why go
- Hili Grand Tomb, around 2500 BCE, with carved reliefs
- Earliest known falaj irrigation anywhere
- Laid out as a free public garden
- Part of the Cultural Sites of Al Ain UNESCO listing
What survives
Hili was a settled farming community during the Umm an-Nar period, which is remarkable in itself — permanent agriculture in this landscape depended on the falaj irrigation whose earliest known examples are here. The Grand Tomb is around twelve metres across, built of dressed stone, and its two entrances carry carved figures that are among the oldest representational art in the Emirates.
Around it are the remains of round towers, houses and the Iron Age falaj system. Interpretation boards are good and the site is small enough to cover properly in an hour.
Hili Archaeological Park, answered
Is Hili Archaeological Park worth visiting?
If you have any interest in how people lived here before oil, yes — it is the deepest settlement record in the country and the Grand Tomb is genuinely striking. An hour covers it, and it is free.
Close enough to do on the same day
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