Hili Archaeological Park

Hili was one of the earliest oasis settlements in the region, occupied from the third millennium BC, and its remains sit inside what is otherwise a public park with lawns and picnic areas. The best-known monument is the Grand Tomb, a circular Umm an-Nar structure of dressed stone about twelve metres across with carved figures of people and animals flanking its entrances. Around it are mudbrick towers, a village and evidence of some of the earliest falaj irrigation known anywhere.

What you actually see

• The Grand Tomb - a circular Umm an-Nar tomb with carved figures beside its entrances.
• The early falaj - among the oldest known evidence of underground irrigation channels.
• The mudbrick towers - third-millennium round structures excavated in the park.
• The park setting - an inscribed archaeological site inside a working public garden.

When to go

October to April for comfortable walking; the site is largely open. Mornings and late afternoons are best. It closes on Mondays.

Honest expectations

The site sits inside a family park and the setting is more municipal garden than archaeological reserve. Interpretation is limited relative to the importance of the remains. Much of the excavated material is in the Al Ain museum rather than here.

Nearby

Al Ain Oasis is south, and Al Jahili Fort is beyond it.