| Jabal Haraz | |
|---|---|
.jpg) A building with terraces overlooks the side of one of the Haraz Mountains | |
| Highest point | |
| Elevation | 3,000 m (9,800 ft) |
| Coordinates | 15°10′00″N43°45′00″E / 15.1667°N 43.7500°E /15.1667; 43.7500 |
| Naming | |
| Native name | Jabal Ḥarāz (جَبَل حَرَاز) |
| Geography | |
  Jabal Haraz  Jabal Haraz  Jabal Haraz | |
| Country |  Yemen |
| Region | South Arabia |
| Official name | Jabal Haraz |
| Criteria | Mixed |
| Designated | 2002(43rdsession) |
| Reference no. | 1722 |
| Region | Arab States |
Jabal Haraz (Arabic:جَبَل حَرَاز,romanized: Jabal Ḥarāz) is a mountainous region ofYemen, betweenSanaa andAl-Hudaydah, which is considered to be within theSarat range.[1] In the 11th century, it was the stronghold of theSulaihid dynasty, many of whose buildings still survive today.[2] It includesJabal An-Nabi Shu'ayb, the highest mountain in Yemen and theArabian Peninsula.[3]
Because of its location between theTihamah coastal plain and Sanaa, this mountainous area has always been strategically important. A caravan stopping point during theHimyarite Kingdom, the Haraz was later the stronghold of theSulayhid dynasty, which was established in Yemen in 1037. Then and subsequently the population has beenIsm'ailiShi'iteMuslims.
Haraz is as famous for its fortified villages which cling to nearly inaccessible rocky peaks. Their imposing architecture meets two needs: defending the villagers, while leaving plenty of space for crops. Each town is built like a castle; the houses, themselves, form the wall, equipped with one or two easily defensible doors. Constructed from sandstone and basalt, the buildings are integrated into the landscape and it is difficult to tell where the rock and the village begins or ends. The mountain is divided into terraces of a few acres or more, separated by walls sometimes several meters high. On these terraced fields grow alfalfa for livestock, millet, lentils, large areas for coffee, andqat. It is one of the main growing areas ofMocha coffee beans.
Within aday's journey areBani Murrah and other villages located on the ridge overlookingManakhah. Manakhah is the heart of the mountain range, a large town whose market attracts villagers from the entire neighborhood.Al Hajjara, to the west of Manakhah, is a walled village whose citadel was founded in the 12th century by the Sulayhids. From there, other villages are accessible, such asBayt al-Qamus andBayt Shimran. The village ofHutaib is built on a platform of red sandstone, facing a view of terraced hills that host a score of villages. Here also is the mausoleum of the third YemeniDa'i al-MutlaqHatim ibn Ibrahim.Bohras fromIndia,Sri Lanka,Madagascar and other countries gather here.[citation needed]
This area was added to theUNESCOWorld Heritage Tentative List on July 8, 2002, by the State Party of Yemen in the mixed (cultural and natural) category, as a site that has "outstanding universal value". The site has not yet been voted by the World Heritage Committee as an official World Heritage site.[2]
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| World Heritage Sites |
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Hills andmountains on the Arabian Peninsula | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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Note: Mountains are sorted in alphabetical order, unless where it concerns ranges. The highest confirmed mountains in each country are indicated with 'HP', and those with the highest peak are indicated with 'HP', bearing in mind that in the UAE, the highest mountain and the mountain with the highest peak are different.Outcrops are indicated with 'OC', andoutliers with 'OL', andanticlines with 'AC'.Volcanoes are indicated with 'V',volcanic craters with 'VC',lava fields with 'LF', andvolcanic fields with 'VF'. Other notes:
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