According
to popular legend Sana'a was founded by Shem, son of Noah. The story
tells of how Shem after coming a long way from the north, finally reached
Yemen and found the plain of Sana'a most suitable for settlement. Shem
chose originally the western part of the Sana'a plain close to Mount
Aiban. When he began to lay the foundations a bird came and picked up his
sounding lead. Shem followed the bird convinced that it was sent by Allah
to show him a more suitable place. The bird flew to the eastern part of
the Sana'a plain and dropped the lead at the foot of Mount Nugum. Shem
then laid the foundations for a city that was called "Madinat
Sam" (the city of Shem). Later, the name changed to Azal (from the
biblical Uzal -Gen. 10:27 - the sixth son of Joktan, the Arabic Qahtan).
Finally, it was called Sana'a, meaning "the fortified one", in
ancient inscription.
The
first inscriptions referring to Sana'a as a city date back to the first
century AD. Yet Sana'a, as a citadel along the trade route between Aden
and Mecca, watching over a large seasonal market, is certainly older than
that. Mohammed Al-Hamdani, the 10th century historian,
mentions the Sabean King Sha'r Awtar as the builder of the city wall
around Sana'a along with the famous Ghumdan Palace. King Sha'r Awtar
lived during the second half of the 2nd century AD. The lack
of any inscriptions of Sana'a between the third and he early sixth
century only confirms the fact that Dhofar (near Yarim) was the capital
of he Himyarite kingdom. Even Mareb, the ancient capital of the Sabeans
had become secondary by this time. However, it is believed that the last
Himyarite kings had ruled Yemen from Sana'a, namely from the palace of
Ghumdan. When the Ethiopians conquered Yemen in 525 AD and 50 years later
the Persians, Dhofar had already lost its position as capital in favour
of Sana'a.
According
to popular legend Sana'a was founded by Shem, son of Noah. The story
tells of how Shem after coming a long way from the north, finally reached
Yemen and found the plain of Sana'a most suitable for settlement. Shem
chose originally the western part of the Sana'a plain close to Mount
Aiban. When he began to lay the foundations a bird came and picked up his
sounding lead. Shem followed the bird convinced that it was sent by Allah
to show him a more suitable place. The bird flew to the eastern part of
the Sana'a plain and dropped the lead at the foot of Mount Nugum. Shem
then laid the foundations for a city that was called "Madinat
Sam" (the city of Shem). Later, the name changed to Azal (from the
biblical Uzal -Gen. 10:27 - the sixth son of Joktan, the Arabic Qahtan).
Finally, it was called Sana'a, meaning "the fortified one", in
ancient inscription.
The
first inscriptions referring to Sana'a as a city date back to the first
century AD. Yet Sana'a, as a citadel along the trade route between Aden
and Mecca, watching over a large seasonal market, is certainly older than
that. Mohammed Al-Hamdani, the 10th century historian,
mentions the Sabean King Sha'r Awtar as the builder of the city wall
around Sana'a along with the famous Ghumdan Palace. King Sha'r Awtar
lived during the second half of the 2nd century AD. The lack
of any inscriptions of Sana'a between the third and he early sixth
century only confirms the fact that Dhofar (near Yarim) was the capital
of he Himyarite kingdom. Even Mareb, the ancient capital of the Sabeans
had become secondary by this time. However, it is believed that the last
Himyarite kings had ruled Yemen from Sana'a, namely from the palace of
Ghumdan. When the Ethiopians conquered Yemen in 525 AD and 50 years later
the Persians, Dhofar had already lost its position as capital in favour
of Sana'a.
