Some of the most important Bronze Age sites in the region are located at Hili, Al Ain. Since the 1960s, archaeologists have discovered settlements, mudbrick forts and tombs dating to the Umm an-Nar period (2500–2000 BCE). In addition, thousands of artefacts reveal a flourishing community that traded with Mesopotamia and other civilisations along the Arabian Gulf. Hili is one of the four Cultural Sites of Al Ain, which make up the United Arab Emirates’ first UNESCO World Heritage Site.

This booklet presents the highlights of Hili to visitors, focusing on Hili Grand Tomb with its carvings of men and animals and also the pit grave of Tomb N, which held the remains of more than 600 people. It also describes the round mudbrick tower at Hili 1 and Hili 8, which has the earliest evidence of permanent agricultural settlement in the region, with burnt grains, a well and a structure dating 3000 BCE.