Obverse. Photo © Central Bank of the UAE
  • 50 Dirhams 2009, N# 91970, United Arab Emirates, Khalifa, 50th Anniversary of Abu Dhabi's First Archaeological Excavation
  • 50 Dirhams 2009, N# 91970, United Arab Emirates, Khalifa, 50th Anniversary of Abu Dhabi's First Archaeological Excavation
Description

The first archaeological excavations in the UAE took place in 1959, led by Peter Glob and his assistant Geoffrey Bibby from Aarhus University. The initiative began when Temple Hillyard, the director of Abu Dhabi Marine Areas Ltd, invited them to examine graves on the small island of Umm Al Nar, guided by Sheikh Shakhbut bin Sultan Al Nahyan. Hillyard had noted similarities to Bronze Age tumuli in Bahrain. During the excavations, Sheikh Zayed bin Sultan Al Nahyan visited and mentioned more artefacts in Al Ain, leading the archaeologists to discover around 200 Hafit period burial cairns. Zayed also guided them to other significant sites, including the Iron Age site of Rumailah.

Sheikh Khalifa bin Zayed Al Nahyan (1948–2022), the UAE's second president and ruler of Abu Dhabi from November 2004 to May 2022, was the eldest son of the UAE's first president, Zayed bin Sultan Al Nahyan. He took on a significant role in the late 1990s due to his father's health issues and officially became Abu Dhabi's leader in 2004. His tenure saw cultural and academic growth, including the Louvre Abu Dhabi and Etihad Airways. Under his leadership, the UAE became a major economic power. Known for his pro-Western stance, he strengthened ties with the US and Israel.

Obverse

Depicts a portrait of Sheikh Khalifa bin Zayed Al Nahyan facing right, wearing a traditional cloak and headpiece, denomination below portrait enclosed by inscriptions in Arabic "His Highness Sheikh Khalifa bin Zayed Al Nahyan" above and "President of the United Arab Emirates" below surrounded by Islamic ornamented edge.

The traditional men's headwear in some Middle Eastern areas consists of three components: a knitted skull-cap known as the "keffiyeh," (also referred to as a ghutrah, shemagh, or ḥaṭṭah) a large cotton headscarf, typically plain white or with a red-and-white checkered pattern, called the "ghutra," and a black cord named the "agal," which secures the ghutra in place.

صاحب السمو الشيخ خليفة بن زايد آل نهيان
٥٠ درهماً
رئيس دولة الامارات العربيّة المتحدة

Reverse

Depicts a Hafit period beehive tomb at Jebel Hafit with its name, dates of first excavation, and year of issue below the building within a beaded circle. The inscription of the occasion in Arabic and English encircles the tomb, surrounded by an Islamic ornamented edge.

The Hafit period is named for the distinctive 'beehive' tombs first discovered around Jebel Hafit in Al Ain. The first discovery of Hafit-era tombs is attributed to Danish archaeologist P.V. Glob of the Moesgaard Museum in 1959. Subsequent excavations uncovered 317 circular stone tombs and settlements, wells, partially underground falaj irrigation systems, and mud-brick constructions for defensive, domestic, and economic purposes.

مرور خمسون عاماً على بدء التنقيبات الأثرية في إمارة أبوظبي
ام النار
1959 - 2009
Celebrating 50 years of archaeological excavation in the emirate of Abu Dhabi.

Edge

50 Dirhams

50th Anniversary of Abu Dhabi's First Archaeological Excavation

N# 91970
Characteristics
Type Commemorative Issue (Non-circulating)
Material Silver
Fineness 0.925
Weight 40 g
Diameter 40 mm
Thickness -
Shape round
Alignment Medal

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