Because of its location between the
Tihamah coastal plain and Sanaa, this mountainous area has always been strategically important. A caravan stopping point during the
Himyarite Kingdom, the Haraz was later the stronghold of the
Sulayhid dynasty, which was established in Yemen in 1037. Then and subsequently the population has been
Ism'aili Shi'ite Muslims. 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, and
qat. It is one of the main growing areas of
Mocha coffee beans. Within a
day's journey are
Bani Murrah and other villages located on the ridge overlooking
Manakhah. 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 as
Bayt al-Qamus and
Bayt Shimran. The village of
Hutaib 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 Yemeni ''
Da'i al-Mutlaq''
Hatim ibn Ibrahim.
Bohras from
India,
Sri Lanka,
Madagascar and other countries gather here. == World Heritage Status ==