Baraqish (Yathill)
City / RuinsMiddle East
Pre-Islamic fortified Minaean city in the Jawf region of northern Yemen. Originally called Yathill, occupied from approximately the 10th century BCE through Roman times. Massive defensive walls built of precision-cut limestone blocks fitted in cyclopean style, with inscriptions in the Minaean Old South Arabian script. The site was a major stop on the incense route between Arabia Felix and the Mediterranean. Multiple temples and a sophisticated water management system survive within the walls.
Look Closer — this site carries open questions: stones heavier than the period's tools could lift; polygonal, interlocking masonry.
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Walkthrough videos (1)
Yemen's Hidden Megaliths: Baraqish, Awwam, Barran, and the Old Marib Dam | Secrets in StoneSecrets in Stone