Hili Towers

Hili Towers represents the archaeological centerpiece of Hili Archaeological Park in Al Ain, Abu Dhabi, the largest Bronze Age site in the United Arab Emirates dating from the 3rd millennium BC. The Hili Grand Tomb, the park's most prominent structure, dates to approximately 2000 BCE and features a distinctive circular form with a diameter up to 12 metres and height of approximately 4 metres, adorned with beautifully engraved reliefs portraying human and animal figurines. When excavated in the 1960s by Danish archaeologists at the invitation of the late Sheikh Zayed bin Sultan Al Nahyan, the tower revealed a thick circular wall with multiple interior rooms served by a central well. The site contains both Bronze Age and Iron Age settlements, tombs, and irrigation systems, with evidence indicating the earliest agriculture in the UAE dating back approximately 5,000 years, making it invaluable for understanding the region's ancient civilizations.