Plans are underway to set up a dedicated public walkway around the ancient burial mounds in Buri, one of the country’s most historic landscapes.
The proposal has won unanimous backing from members of the Northern Municipal Council, who believe the project would beautify the area and attract more visitors, including tourists.
The initiative, submitted by council vice-chairwoman and area councillor Zaina Jassim, focuses on creating an organised pedestrian path around the fenced archaeological mounds in Block 752, Buri – which form part of the wider Dilmun Burial Mounds landscape.
The proposal has now been referred to Municipalities Affairs and Agriculture Minister Wael Al Mubarak for review.
For many residents of Buri, the mounds are not only silent witnesses to Bahrain’s ancient past, but also part of their everyday surroundings and councillors hope the new walkway will allow people to engage with this heritage in a safe, respectful and healthy way.
Ms Jassim said the idea arose from observing how residents already make informal use of the site’s perimeter for walking and exercise.
“Residents already use the fenced area to walk around, and having an official walkway would be extremely nice,” she said.
“This area is not only residential, it is historically significant and falls within the World Heritage landscape of the Dilmun mounds. Organising the space with a proper pedestrian path will serve both the community and the heritage value of the site.”
She explained that the proposal has several objectives, including encouraging youth and families to adopt walking as a healthy daily activity, contributing to greening and beautification, and providing residents with a much-needed recreational space.
“We are looking at improving quality of life. The area needs a healthy, safe and attractive public space where people can walk, relax and enjoy their surroundings while respecting the archaeological significance of the location,” she added.
According to the committee’s technical review, the project faces no engineering or planning obstacles from a municipal standpoint.
Services and public utilities committee chairwoman councillor Zainab Al Durazi confirmed the committee’s full support for the proposal.
“The committee carefully studied the request from both technical and service perspectives and found no objections to establishing a pedestrian walkway around the archaeological mounds in Buri,” she explained.
“We believe the project strikes a balance between heritage preservation and community benefit. It is a simple intervention that can make a meaningful difference to residents’ daily lives while enhancing the appearance of a nationally important site.”
She noted that the proposal also aligns with broader goals of promoting public health and improving neighbourhood environments through landscaping and pedestrian-friendly planning.
mohammed@gdnmedia.bh
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