Wadi Al Helo
Wadi Al Helo: Testimony of Bronze Age Copper Production is part of the Tentative list of United Arab Emirates in order to qualify for inclusion in the World Heritage List.
Wadi Al Helo is the earliest site of copper metallurgy discovered in Southeast Arabia. The site became an important place on the network of trade routes, which is also visible in the T-figure rock carvings that have been left behind. A watchtower was built at the entrance of the valley. The site is situated in the Hajjar Mountains of Sharjah.
Map of Wadi Al Helo
Load mapThe coordinates shown for all tentative sites were produced as a community effort. They are not official and may change on inscription.
Community Reviews
Zoë Sheng
Chinese-Canadian - 31-Jul-24 -
Wadi Al Helo is best combined with Hatta and Malhelo as you are heading to the southeast and almost hitting Oman on the way. The problem for my visit was that the area is under heavy construction in 2024. It's hard to see much beyond the nice town that was built up on the mountain. There's not much to be seen in terms of copper production and even if there was I don't think the copper production counts as unique and overwhelming that I would inscribe it as a site. I think in general the sites in the UAE need a bit higher standards, I know they exist, and nobody should be afraid to propose sites that include cultural heritage. Just seeing some copper extraction from who knows when doesn't make it worth seeing.
If you do make it here you'll be funnelled onto the valley top to see the nice town and look below where you just see road and rocks. Not quite the tourist spot I would expect. The good news was the road back to Dubai was through the mountains and quite interesting.
Site Info
- Full Name
- Wadi Al Helo: Testimony of Bronze Age Copper Production
- Country
- United Arab Emirates
- Added
- 2023
- Type
- Cultural
- Categories
- Archaeological site - Prehistoric
- Link
- By ID