Dilmun Burial Mounds

The Dilmun Burial Mounds are a number of necropolis areas on the main island of Bahrain dating back to the Dilmun, the Umm al-Nar culture, and later eras. Known since ancient times as an island with a very large number of burials, the (originally) quite a number of square kilometres of mounds were said to be one of the largest cemeteries in the ancient world. The cemeteries are concentrated in the north of the island, on the hard stony areas slightly above the arable farming soils – the south of the island is mainly sandy and desert-like. Recent studies have shown that the estimated/approximately 350,000 ancient grave mounds could have been solely produced by the local population over a number of thousands of years. The graves are not all of the same era, or of exactly the same styles, and can vary considerably in size in different areas of the moundfield. Research, under the auspices of the Bahrain National Museum (with the Bahrain Historical and Archaeological Society taking a keen interest), is still continuing, to establish a firm timeline for all these variations and continuations, as well as considering the implications for the society or societies that produced them.

Riffa Fort

Riffa Fort was built as a fort during the reign of Shaikh Salman bin Ahmed Al Fateh Al Khalifa in 1812, while another source claim that it was built during the rule of the Persian Safavid Empire over Bahrain during the 17th century, the fort was converted into a residence in the 19th century for Shaikh Salman Bin Ahmed Al Fateh Al Khalifa. Riffa Fort or it is now named Shaikh Salman bin Ahmed Fort offers a splendid view across the Hunanaiya valley. With Riffa being home to the seat of government until 1869, this fort was strategically important in at the time.

Shaikh Isa bin Ali Al Khalifa, who ruled Bahrain from 1869 to 1932, was born in the fort. His house in Muharraq provides a glimpse of royal life in the 19th century, complete with architecture and wall carvings belonging to that era. It is also one of the best places to feel the effects of the wind tower.