Ma’rib

Introducing Ma’rib

It’s hard to imagine that this rotting desert town was ever a seat of power, but it was from these very same streets that a woman of intense beauty once came forward and changed the story of Arabia. Bilqis, guardian of the frankincense trade routes, lover of Solomon, mother of the throne of Abyssinia, daughter of the devil and known to the world simply as the Queen of Sheba is rumoured to have based her capital here. The Quran relates other, equally fantastical stories of Ma’rib, famously describing it as a paradise on the left bank and a paradise on the right bank. Yet by all accounts this was a true description – the city, built on taxes from the incense trade, was impossibly wealthy and, thanks to its famous dam, very fertile. It’s said that a person could walk for four days in any direction and not leave the shade of the palm groves and orange trees. However, if you’re coming to Ma’rib expecting to find archaeological sites to rival Egypt or Greece, you are going to be sorely disappointed, as almost nothing remains from the glory days of the great queen. This doesn’t mean a visit here isn’t worthwhile, far from it. Ma’rib is a Yemeni highlight – it’s just that around these parts it’s all about atmosphere, and that’s something Ma’rib has in abundance. A visit here is nothing short of surreal…

Note that because of tribal tension in the area, tourists are given a compulsory police escort while travelling to, around and in the town of Ma’rib. After sunset, a curfew comes into force: you’re obliged to remain in your hotel until sunrise.

Last updated: Feb 17, 2009