Zafar, Yemen

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Simple plan of Zafar, 2006

Head of a lady, perhaps Himyarite Empire Period

Zafar or Dhafar (Ar ظفار) [Ðafār] (14°13'N, 44°24'E) is an ancient Himyarite site situated in the Yemen, some 130 km south-south-west of the capital Sana'a. It lies in the Yemenite highlands at some 2800 m. It was the capital of the Himyarites, who ruled much of southern Arabia (c. 110 BC— 525 AD). Zafar was one of the most prosperous and celebrated cities in southern Arabia prior to the Axumite conquest. The city was home to polytheist, Jewish and Christian communities. Between 537 and 548 it seems to have given way to the present-day capital in Sana'a. It is mentioned by Pliny in his Natural History, in the anonymous Periplus of the Erythraean Sea (both 1st century AD), as well as in the Geographia of Claudius Ptolemaeus (original 2nd century AD). This anciently walled city is one of the largest archaeological sites in Arabia. A surface area calculated to 110 hectares includes the total area. But the settlement is uneven and smaller than this. Ancient settlement occurs inside and outside the ancient city defences. These have been estimated at 4500m length, and are mostly ruined. The main fortress is the Husn Raydan. The main architectural at this archaeological site includes tombs and a square stone court which may belong to a temple. Mapping and excavation under the direction of Paul Yule of the University of Heidelberg has taken place from 1998 to 2007.