Like Marib and Al- Jowf, Shabwa is situated within the geographical area historically known as East of Yemen .It has vast relief: mountains, plains and deserts extending northwards towards the Empty Quarter, with an extended coastline along the Arabian Sea. Shabwa also has a number of archaeological towns and cities dating back to three ancient Yemeni kingdoms.
The capital of Shabwa
Governorate, Ataq is 458km south east of Sana’a. An asphalt road links the two
cities via Marib, Harib ,Baihan and Ridhab –Ataq. THE ROAD THEN LINKS Shabwa
with Abyan and Hadhramout Governorate across Naqba.
Ataq is a modern city. There
is a museum with a valuable collection of antiquities from different areas of
Shabwa, especially the ancient city of Shabwa, the capital of the ancient
kingdom of Hadhramout, Also in the museum are relics from the archaeological
sites of the ancient Qataban and Osan kingdom.
Bihan is located to the
north-west of Ataq. It is a beautiful city with houses built of adobe blocks,
an architectural style that is prevalent in the eastern part of Yemen, it
stretches from Sa’da, passing by Al-Jowf and Marib and southwards to the coasts
of the Arabian Sea. This city also has a museum containing a good variety of
examples from the Qataban archaeological sites, which are near to Baihan of
which:
Qataban
Dynasty (a historical resume):
The old Yemeni civilization
did not prosper on the banks of rivers like other civilizations of the ancient
world like that in the Nile or Mesopotamia but flourished on the banks of
valleys and Qataban is one of the ancient Yemenite states which flourished on
the bank of Baihan valley at the fringe of the Empty Quarter near Hadhramawt,
Sheba, Maeen and Ausan. The state was established on natural, climate, social,
Economic circumstances similar to the other Yemenite civilizations. Through the
scientific studies which covered a number of archaeological sites it shows that
Sheba, Maeen, Qataban and Hadhramout are similar in their development stages to
a great extent in all the fields whether Economic, Social, religious or
Political. The studies conducted in Wadi Baihan and Wadi Al Joubah refer to the
fact that the prosperity of ancient Yemenite kingdoms including the Qatabanite
must have taken place during the onset of first millennium BC. Concerning the
history of Qataban as per what a provided for in the inscription, the first
mention of Qataban is in the Sabaen inscription of King Karib-II-Water who is
the last Mukarrib and the first to bear the title of king.
Qataban during that period was
a vassal of Sheba which enabled it to get rid of the Ausanide control. The
inscriptions confirm that Qataban was the exclusive during the first era whose
first king carried the title of Mukarrib as is the case with Sheba for this
title combines religious and political authority. Tamna was the political of
Qataban and the biggest Qatabanite city Wadi Baihan amid the distance between
Shabwa the capital of Hadhramout and Marib the capital of Sheba. The
Qatabanites gave the agriculture affairs their full attention as found in their
construction of dams, long distance canals using cement like substance as well
as their drilling of wells.
From their location on the
trade route which is termed and renowned as Ollibanum Route the Qatabanites
achieved big interests this aspect and it would seem that the Qatabanite
commercial activities were like Transit Trade of nowadays. The Qatabanites have
drilled a route which they carved in the Mabalaqah Mount for a distance of 5km
between Wadi Baihan and Al Joubah Oasis, may be the objective behind carving
such a route was for delineating the route and campaigning of smuggling and may
be that happened after it flourished and get rid of the domination of its
northern neighbor Sheba during the fourth century BC. Then in alliance with
Hadhramout Dynasty was able to extend its domination and influence to the South
till the Coast on the Arabian Sea and the valley of Joubah at the distance of
one day from Marib the capital city of Sheba. During the third and second
century BC Qataban reached its optimum prosperity. Qataban paid more attention
to the issuance of legislation, laws and regulations and was more orderly with
regard to commerce and markets. Till this day in Shamir market there is the most
famous Yemenite Obelisk on which there are inscriptions determining those
working in Trade and what taxes and fees imposed in them, Shamir Market is the
market of the Qatabanite Dynasty nowadays is called Hajar Kohlan. Timna the
Qatabanite the prosperous and heritage like the other ancient towns of eastern
Felix Yemen started its way towards demise as the as the One Tenth dedicated
for the goddess A’am in the Qatabanite cities enough to encourage them to serve
the goddess wholeheartedly and the goddess A’ am was not able to defend the
cities of Qataban against the attacks of Hadhramout during the 1st
century AD. During the second century AD, the moon A’am demised and its
remaining was annexed to Hadhramout.
Tamna’a (Capital of Qatban)
The city of Tamna’a is one
left Bank of Wadi Bihan at the fringes of the desert plain, 30km from the city
was the capital of the ancient kingdom of Qataban, which flourished during the
4th century BC. It was an important station on the ancient incense
road and was a collection point for taxes from the caravans in return for
protection. The incense caravans, after setting out from Tamna’a had to travel
a distance of 1487,5 Mile (2.380km), to reach its final destination, Gaza on
the Mediterranean coast. By then, the caravan would have passed through 65
stations at which the camels would rest.
The American Anthropological
Institute’s expedition carried out excavation work at Tamna’a Hajar Hajar Bin
Hameed and Haid Bin Aqeel in 1951.
These excavations showed that
Tamna’a was a prosperous city with gold , a rich heritage ,temples of the
goddess “A’am” (Moon). Some of the important antiquities found were:
Tow bronze lions, one of them
carrying a child in the image of Cupid, the son of Venus, goddess of love.
Qatabanite law Obelisk, Water canals built out of stone and cemented with
substance similar to water resistant cement.
Also unearthed were canals
extending from Baihan to a distance of 15Miles(25km, dating back to the 5th
century BC.
It is one of the
Archaeological Qatabanite Towns 15km away to the south of Tamna’a on an Oval
hill lying at a height of 70 feet from the surface of the valley at the
Bifurcate of the ancient Routes and is less in size than Tamna. The American
Mission for Anthropological studies sees that the establishment of the city
must have taken place between 1100-900BC.
May be the Qatabanites were
more in control and domination of the Incense /Ollibanum /Myrrh Route which was
passing through the lands and Stations of Qataban by their carrying out of a
huge work in domination and control as well as prevention of smuggling for they
carved in stone a mountainous route linking Baihan Valley with Hareeb Valley
through Mablqah Mount which is 1000 feet (380m) above sea level, the length of
the route 3miles (4.8km) in dangerous slopes and the width of the route
amounted from 12 to 15 feet paved with stones and protected at the sides by
walls. The Mountainous strait of Mablaqah was a conjunction point of many
routes and Paths of Incense/Myrrh and Ollibanum.
This city was built on the
bank of Armah valley. Like other ancient Yemenite cities, which were founded on
the banks of valley, Shibwa is located at the starting point of Wadi Hadhramout
to the western outskirts, extending northwards 100km north of Ataq, the capital
of Shabwa Governorate.
Shabwa was the capital of the
ancient Kingdom of Hadhramout and was the largest of its cities. It was an important
center for the grouping of the old trading caravans. A caravan had to pay
one-tenth of the value of its load to the priest of the temple in the name of
Goddess “ Seen” the Banquet Host ”the moon”.
It is said that Shabwa used to
maintain 60 temples and that it was the religious center in ancient Hadhramout.
Smuggling or deviation from the fixed trading route was a crime publishable by
death. One of the gates of the city was set aside for the entry of the
caravans.
A number of archaeologists
have explored Shabwa at different times and some of the relics unearthed are on
show at the Ataq Museum. Many features of ancient Shabwa are:
-
Ruins of the Royal Palace to the east.
-
Parts of the city wall which are still standing
around the northern gate.
-
Ruins of ancient temples.
There have been no agreements
on the history of ancient Shabwa and the remaining Yemenite kingdoms.
Some think that the Kingdom Of
Hadhramout flourished between the 11th and 4tyh centuries BC, but
recent studies indicate that Yemen’s civilization must have flourished around
1000 BC. Through some probes that showed nearly results. These conclusions have
been dawn from a number of soil tests carried out by the American
Anthropological Institute in Hajar Bin Hameed in 1951 and Jobah in Marib Governorate
in 1980.
The results of which were very
similar. The outcome of these studies indicates that man domesticated the camel
around 1300 BC, and it is well known that the camel was the backbone of a
flourishing trade at the time.
Maifa’a lies on the banks of
wadi Maifa’a, on the side of the asphalt road linking Shabwa with Hadhramout,
nearby the village of Azzan. It is believed that Maifa’ah preceded Shabwa as
the capital of Ancient Hadhramout, or at one point in time performed that role.
Maifa’a had a stonewall with a
number of towers, which is indicative of the significance of the city in
ancient Hadhramout. It had a number of temples which were destroyed around the
4th century AD. Today, the city is no more than ruins, but its ruins
show signs of a grate and glorious past.
These two villages are the
most beautiful in Shabwa Governorate. They are no the asphalt road which is
used by tourists and come from Abyan and Ataq to Muklla in Hadhramout. Both
have beautiful houses built of adobe and are high-rise structures, especially
the village of Azzan that is also surrounded by rows of palm trees.
Bir
Ali (Ancient port of Qana)
This area consists of a number
of beautiful Sandy beaches. Some of the most attractive in Yemen. It is a coastal
village and finishing port on the edge of the Gulf 120km from Mukalla and 140km
from Ataq. On the other side of the Gulf there is a volcanic hill overlooking
the south western entrance of the Gulf and it is, the very location of the
ancient port of Qana, once the main port of old ancient Yemenite Dynasty of
Hadhramout from which Myrrh, Incense and Ollibanum used to be exported either
by land the historical Ollibanum Route or by sea. The port of Qana was in close
relationship with Dhofar (currently part of Oman), coasts of India and Somalia.
The volcanic hill is called nowadays Husn Al-Ghurab, and contains ruins of a
control tower which was linked to the port and the water reservoirs. There are
relics at the foot of the original location of the city of Qana.
There are many and Sulfur
springs in Shabwa Governorate such as nearby Rudhoum Baths, which are
considered the largest such springs in Yemen.
Many such roads pass through
various parts of Shabwa, namely: desert roads between Shabwa and Marib which
transverse desert and valley, passing by beautiful villages on the way: Sa’eed,
Yashbum and Rawdah,
which are important as handicraft centers for manufacturing materials such as
textiles and a third route near to the beautiful beaches of Bir Ali and Balhaf.
The
Incense Road (for the adventurer in you)
A new tourist road passes the
towns, stations and forts of the ancient incenses Route. This road starts at
Qana port, on the coast of the Arabian Sea, on towards old Shabwa capital of
ancient Hadhramout dynasty, to Tamna’a, the capital of Qataban and Hajar Bin
Hameed in Baihan, across Mablaqah Strait (Hano Al Zareer), to Harib, Joba and
Jarsha, old Hafri city (in Yella and Shaab Al Aqi), and then to Marib capital
of Sheba, Kharbat Soud in Wadi Raghwan, heading towards the towns, cities and
stations of Ma’een Kingdom in Wadi Allisan, from then it goes to Baraqish,
Ahqaf, Doroub Al Sabi and Manassat Al-Muqfar. The road then reaches maeen
Qarnnaw capital of Maeen, across Kharbat Hamdan (Kharbat Al ali), Old Harem,
Nashin, (Al Sawda) Ishtar Temple (Morning Star), Nashiq (Al Bayda), and then
across Jowf valley to Saada to Najiran.