Mound 17 sits on the east side of the A'ali cluster, and from here the ground slopes gently toward Ar-Rifa'a, the second great town of central Bahrain. The two places have little in common, but the combination is a good lesson in how this island has been used. One is a field of bronze age graves; the other is the seat of the ruling Al Khalifa family, who arrived from the Gulf mainland in the late eighteenth century and made Bahrain their own.
Ar-Rifa'a is divided into two parts: the old town, with its fort on a ridge above a valley and narrow lanes of traditional houses, and a newer, more modern area with large villas and golf courses. The fort, a sturdy sand-coloured building with corner towers, was a family stronghold, and visitors can usually go in when it is open. The town has cafés and restaurants, a good deal of traffic at weekends, and the kind of slightly wealthy calm that comes from tall hedges and big gates.
The riding here is gentle but busy. Roads between A'ali and Ar-Rifa'a are wide and well-surfaced, and local drivers move fast and without much fuss, so keep your speed predictable and stay out of blind spots. Watch the roundabouts and the exits to the various residential compounds, where cars can emerge suddenly. Dust is part of life here, and a pair of clear glasses or a tinted visor is useful.
Fuel is not an issue; both Ar-Rifa'a and Madinat Isa have plenty of stations, and the main roads are lined with convenience stores and bakeries. A cup of karak, strong, sweet, milky tea with cardamom, is the usual refreshment, and you will find it at almost every petrol station.
Back at the mound, take a moment to look at the way the cemetery lies on the ridge. Its position was no accident. The builders wanted their dead to look over the land and be seen from the road, and four thousand years later they are still doing exactly that.