At about 100 kilometers, to the east of Sana’a, the walls of Barraqueish seem to rise out of the desert and into the past. This ancient caravanned city of the kingdom of Ma’in (4th century BC) is even more spectacular with its monumental temple, recently refurbished and restored. Furthermore its hundreds of inscriptions, which run through the heights of the walls, are out of his world.

Mareb was the capital of the ancient Kingdom of Sheba. One of the most important archeological sites in Yemen, Mareb’s ruins of the monumental temples and the imposing historic Cyclopean dam which once brought prosperity to the people of Sheba. Today, a new dam has enabled the desert to become green again. Other points of interests include the Temple of the Moon God and the thrown of Bilquis. 

From Mareb, one can reach the Hadramaut valley, through the desert with its waves of dunes, on the ancient incense path. We can also reach Shabwa, the ancient capital of Hadramaut and the first class archeological sites.

Hadramaut seems like a miracle mirage. This valley of oasis, 120 km long, is lost between the desert and the Jol’s arid plateau.