Qaryat Al-Faw, the first capital of the Kindite Kingdom, witnessed the founding of several ancient civilizations, whose numerous tombs testified to their presence and departure.
In Al-Faw, three types of cemeteries can be distinguished. The first is located on the western edge of the city and consists of collective family cemeteries belonging to individuals of elevated political and social status in the city.
The tomb is 5 meters deep, 1 meter wide, and 6 meters long from north to south. On the eastern and western walls there are openings into which a person could insert their feet to enter or exit the tomb.
In addition, there are four doors on four sides. Three of these doors lead to caves carved in a circular shape, while the western door leads to a built room lined with white plaster, and a lower room in the northern part containing a pit with valuable items belonging to the deceased.
The second type consists of noble cemeteries, where the burial chamber comprises eastern and western rooms with a trench in the middle three and a half meters deep, with openings on the eastern and western sides for people to enter and exit the tomb.
The third type of cemetery belonged to the common people of various kingdoms. They are located to the northeast of the city, on the edge of the western valley in the gypsum area lying north of the market. The cemeteries are strikingly similar to Islamic cemeteries. These tombs consist of an uneven unplastered trench ranging from 1 to 5 meters in length and ending in a tomb closed with a small clay slab, similar to those used in village structures. Excavators found several jars among the dead, having opened them.
Al-Faw is considered one of the most important archaeological sites on the Arabian Peninsula. It holds particular significance due to its geographical position as a trading center and crossroads for caravans laden with minerals, grain, and textiles.
It was the main transit point for caravans coming from the kingdoms of Sheba, Ma'in, Qataban, Hadhramaut, and Himyar on the route to Najran, Al-Faw, then to Al-Aflaj and Yamama, before setting off eastward to the Gulf and northward to Mesopotamia and Syria.
The tombs can be found approximately 150 km from the headquarters of Wadi ad-Dawasir Governorate to the southeast, particularly in the area where Wadi ad-Dawasir intersects with the Tuwaiq Mountains in an area called «Al-Faw.».