Dhamar ( ar, ذَمَار, Ḏamār; Old South Arabian: 𐩹𐩣𐩧 ''Ḏmr'') is a city in south-western Yemen. It is located at , at an elevation of around .

Overview

Dhamar is situated to the south of Sana'a, north of Ibb, and west of Al-Bayda', above sea level. Its name goes back to the king of

Saba' The Sabaeans or Sabeans (Sabaean:, ; ar, ٱلسَّبَئِيُّوْن, ''as-Sabaʾiyyūn''; he, סְבָאִים, Səḇāʾīm) were an ancient group of South Arabians. They spoke the Sabaean language, one of the Old South Arabian langua ...

and Dhu-Raydan at 15-35 AD, whose name was Dhamar Ali Yahbir II, who is renowned for restoring the great dam of Ma’rib, and whose

statue A statue is a free-standing sculpture in which the realistic, full-length figures of persons or animals are carved or cast in a durable material such as wood, metal or stone. Typical statues are life-sized or close to life-size; a sculpture t ...

was found at the city of Al-Nakhla Al-Hamra'a ("The Red Palm"). This city is one of the

archeological Archaeology or archeology is the scientific study of human activity through the recovery and analysis of material culture. The archaeological record consists of artifacts, architecture, biofacts or ecofacts, sites, and cultural landscape ...

sites that are found near Dhamar. The city of Dhamar is the capital of the

governorate A governorate is an administrative division of a state. It is headed by a governor. As English-speaking nations tend to call regions administered by governors either State (administrative division), states or province, provinces, the term ''govern ...

, and is situated on the main road, which connects Sana’a with a number of other governorates. This city was one of the prominent Arabian and

Islam Islam (; ar, ۘالِإسلَام, , ) is an Abrahamic religions, Abrahamic Monotheism#Islam, monotheistic religion centred primarily around the Quran, a religious text considered by Muslims to be the direct word of God in Islam, God (or ...

ic culture and scientific centers in Yemen . Its Great Mosque was built in the period of the caliph Abu Bakr. As Dhamar City had a great role in the politic and trading life in Yemen, it had an important historical role in Yemen before the lifetime of the

Islamic Prophet Prophets in Islam ( ar, الأنبياء في الإسلام, translit=al-ʾAnbiyāʾ fī al-ʾIslām) are individuals in Islam who are believed to spread God in Islam, God's message on Earth and to serve as models of ideal human behaviour. So ...

Muhammad. The antique Yemeni engravings mentioned Dhamar city as being a very famous center of the Islamic studies and sciences, and many of the great scientists are attributed to this historical town. In past times, the people of Dhamar were known for bringing up horses; the city was an early center of horse-breeding in Arabia. The town is still known in Yemen for its numerous historical mosques and schools, which are distinguished by their characteristic architecture in harmony with the colours of its volcanic land. A volcanic field, Harras of Dhamar, extends to the east of the city. The city of Dhamar, in the center of the Dhamar basin, is of ancient origin. It was built by the legendary Himyarite King Dhamar Ali Yahbir II. Dhamar is the only town in the former North Yemen that is not surrounded by a wall or natural defensive formations; it is just a settlement on the plains. Centrally situated with connections to the nearby governorates, the town has prospered as a Wednesday market and meeting place for tribes living nearby. It is home to the University of Thamar, the largest university in the country.

Rosicrucians Rosicrucianism is a spiritual and cultural movement that arose in Europe in the early 17th century after the publication of several texts purported to announce the existence of a hitherto unknown esoteric order to the world and made seeking its ...

associate Dhamar with the mystical city of Damcar -- a city in Arabia described in the '' Fama Fraternitatis,'' inhabited by scholars and alchemists who studied the lost secrets of Hermes Trismegistus and

Solomon Solomon (; , ),, ; ar, سُلَيْمَان, ', , ; el, Σολομών, ; la, Salomon also called Jedidiah (Hebrew language, Hebrew: , Modern Hebrew, Modern: , Tiberian Hebrew, Tiberian: ''Yăḏīḏăyāh'', "beloved of Yahweh, Yah"), ...

, visited by Christian Rosenkreuz.

Climate

Dhamar has a cold semi-arid climate ( Köppen climate classification: ''BSk'').

Notable residents

* Nabil Mohammed Al-Garbi - Olympic Yemeni long-distance runner *

Shoshana Damari Shoshana Damari ( he, שושנה דמארי; March 31, 1923 – February 14, 2006) was a Yemeni-Israeli singer known as the "Queen of Hebrew Music." Biography Shoshana Damari was born in Dhamar, Yemen. Her family immigrated to Mandate Pales ...

(1923-2006), Israeli singer

References

{{Yemeni cities Populated places in Dhamar Governorate Districts of Dhamar Governorate