Thula
Yemen · Amran · 2700 m
Description
Thula is a fortified stone village an hour northwest of Sana'a and the most complete surviving example of Yemeni highland architecture, built entirely of dressed grey limestone with no mud brick at all. Every house is cut from the same rock as the mountain it stands on, so the village reads as a single mass from a distance. A citadel sits on the cliff directly above it, reached by a stepped path. Rock-cut cisterns catch the rain. The neighbouring villages of Kawkaban and Shibam Kawkaban sit on a plateau nearby. The village is walked end to end in half an hour.
Length of stay
Recommended length of stay: 1 to 2 days (optimal 1 day)
Travel season
Best time to visit: March – May or September – November
- Jan
- Feb
- Mar
- Apr
- May
- Jun
- Jul
- Aug
- Sep
- Oct
- Nov
- Dec
Highlights
- Stone village of dressed limestone
- Citadel on the cliff above the village
- Kawkaban plateau and its cliff village(Day trip)
- Rock-cut cisterns and the water system
- Stepped path up to the fortress
- Village mosque and the stone lanes
- Terraced fields of the highland slopes
- Al-Mahwit road through the mountains