Dilmun Burial Mounds - Aali Burial Mounds

The A'ali Burial Mounds in Bahrain are part of the Dilmun Burial Mounds UNESCO World Heritage Site, inscribed in 2019. The broader property encompasses 11,774 burial mounds across 21 sites built between 2250 and 1700 BCE. At A'ali, 17 royal mounds include three palatial-type structures with vertical shafts, multiple alcoves, and spaces for public ritual, integrated into the village's urban fabric. The largest mound field nearby contains approximately 4,000 Late-type tumuli. These tombs reflect the Early Dilmun civilization's elaborate burial traditions across social classes, evidencing Bahrain's role as a major trade hub connecting lapis lazuli from Afghanistan, copper from Oman, and goods across the Persian Gulf.