World's Beautiful Landscapes.: Al Hajjarah | Ancient Village on a Cliff, Yemen

Al Hajjarah | Ancient Village on a Cliff, Yemen

Al Hajjarah sometimes spelled Al Hajarah or Al Hajjara, is a village in Yemen. The word Hajar means 'stone", was built in the mountains of Kharaz in the XII century by the Sulaihids, and became an important fortification during the Ottoman occupation of Yemen. It is located in the Manakhah District of the Sana'a Governorat. The basis of the ancient settlement amounted to a huge multi-storey houses, formed of massive stone blocks extracted in nearby quarries. High brown buildings with flat roofs resemble modern skyscrapers.

The main task of the ancient tower blocks were domestic residents accommodation Al Hajar and their protection from enemy attacks. Massive skyscrapers were built in close proximity to each other, had no windows in the lower part and actually merged with the mountains that served as a further guarantee of safety. [First Image source Kate Dixon]

Image source Kate Dixon

The main building of Al Hajar is the palace of Dar al-Hajar, standing all alone in the middle of the green oasis of Wadi Dahr. Consisting of thirty-five rooms five-storey building opened today Tourism attraction, as the city itself Al Hajar.