What to See in Taiz (Yemen)

According to Aristmarketing.com, Taiz is the administrative center of the province of the same name, located in the southern part of the mountainous region of Yemen. Taiz stands on the slopes of Mount Sabir at an altitude of 1400 m. It was first mentioned in 1173. In the following centuries, the city more than once became the capital of various states: in 1175 – the kingdom of the Ayyubid dynasty, from the 13th to the 15th centuries – the kingdom of the Rasulid dynasty, and from 1948 to 1962 – the last kingdom of Yemen. Today, Taiz is an important economic center.

The city attracts attention standing on a 400-meter cliff Al Qahira fortress. It was built in pre-Islamic times, under the Rasulids, the fortress was used as a royal palace. In the southern part Taiz well preserved remains of the fortress walls of the 13th century. From the 5 gates of the fortress wall, only 2 have survived to this day: Bab-Musa and Bab-al-Kabir. At the gates of Bab Al Kabir, there is an old market, which is considered one of the best places in the country to buy silverware. However, the main attraction of the Old City of Taiz are its Rasulid mosques. The oldest of them is the Al-Mudaffar Mosque.. It was built in the 13th century under Sultan Mudaffar and was famous for its school. Al Ashrafi Mosque from the late 14th century, which was named after Sultans Ashraf I and Ashraf II, is the city’s most important mosque. It is built in the traditional Yemeni architectural style with elements of Egyptian decor, has two minarets, one of the most beautiful domes in the country and a Koran school. Also in Taiz , the palace of the last imam of Yemen, Ahmed, is interesting. Nowadays, the palace houses a museum, where the atmosphere of the first half of the 20th century has been preserved. The museum is dedicated to Imam Ahmed and presents collections of his personal belongings, gifts and photographs from that time.

South of Taiz rises Mount Sabir 3070 m high. A road leads from Taiz to the top of the mountain. Traveling along it, you can see local women dressed in bright national clothes with baskets on their heads in which they carry fruits. One of the most ancient mosques in Yemen is located 20 km northeast of Taiz in the village of Al-Janad. It was built in the 7th century and, together with the Great Mosque of Sana’a, is carefully protected by the state as a significant historical monument. The walls of the mosque are decorated with lines from the Koran. Many pilgrims come here every year. It is worth noting that it was from the village of Al-Janad in 1175 that the capital of the state was transferred to Taiz. 35 km southwest of Taiz in the city Yaphrus is another place of pilgrimage – the tomb of Ahmed Ibn Alwan, one of the most famous and revered preachers and religious leaders of ancient Yemen. Ahmed Ibn-Alvan died in the 13th century, later a mosque was built over his tomb.

From Taiz, you can go north through the Sumarra pass, passing at an altitude of about 2500 m, to the ancient trading city of Ibb. In these places, the greatest amount of precipitation falls, so the surroundings of the city are very picturesque: mountain valleys are covered with terraces with agricultural land. Ibb has long been known for its coffee plantations. Thanks to the coffee trade, the city reached its power. Jibla is located 10 km away., which was founded in 1065. Under the Queen of Yemen, Arwa Bint Ahmad Al Sulayhi Jibla, who ruled in the 11th century after the death of her husband, Jibla was the capital of the state. Also, the city of Jibla was an important center of learning in the Islamic world. Its main attraction is the Arva mosque of 1088, where the tomb of the great queen, a museum dedicated to her life, and a functioning school for the study of the Koran are located.