Awwam Temple (Mahram Bilqis)
TempleMiddle East
Largest Sabaean temple, dedicated to the moon god Almaqah, near Marib in Yemen. The oval temenos wall measures 100 × 75 m and stands up to 13 m tall — built of cyclopean limestone blocks fitted in polygonal masonry that recalls Mediterranean and Andean styles. Founded c. 8th century BCE, the temple continued in use for over a thousand years. Locally known as Mahram Bilqis (Sanctuary of the Queen of Sheba), tying the site to the biblical Sheba tradition. Excavations by the American Foundation for the Study of Man (1951-1952) and the University of Calgary (1990s onward) documented the precision of the joinery and the scale of the construction.
Look Closer — this site carries open questions: stones heavier than the period's tools could lift; stones fitted without mortar, almost no gap; polygonal, interlocking masonry.
Open in the Atlas map →
Walkthrough videos (1)
Yemen's Hidden Megaliths: Baraqish, Awwam, Barran, and the Old Marib Dam | Secrets in StoneSecrets in Stone