THE OLD CITY OF MA’RIB
Ma’rib is a three hour drive east of the capital San’â. There are two roads that lead to the town of Ma’rib. Security issues do hamper travel to the sites.
HERITAGE SITE | THE OLD CITY OF MA’RIB
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Ma’rib has been inhabited since the dawn of time and is one of the world’s oldest towns.
It is believed that Ma’rib was the capital of the Sabean kingdom and which became the most important trading post on the frankincense trade route.
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Queen Bilqees (Queen of Sheba) was the ruler of Saba and Ma’rib is believed to have been her seat of rule.
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During Marib’s days of glory, its famous dam was constructed. When the dam walls burst many years later, the people of Ma’rib scattered all over Arabia and the town virtually ceased to exist.
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The land of Saba’ and Queen Bilqees have been discussed in the Quran in Surah Naml : 22-24.
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At the site in Ma’rib, archeological excavations uncovered many columns of an ancient temple – possibly that of Bilqees – in 1986. A throne room was also found at the site.
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Note: While the city has been inhabited since at least the first millennium BCE, the standing buildings are of relatively recent date. The exposed stone walls were part of an outlying area of the ancient city.
