Like Marib and Al- Jowf, Shabwa is situated within the geographical area historically known as East of Yemen .It has vast relief: mountains, plains and deserts extending northwards towards the Empty Quarter, with an extended coastline along the Arabian Sea. Shabwa also has a number of archaeological towns and cities dating back to three ancient Yemeni kingdoms.

 Ataq

The capital of Shabwa Governorate, Ataq is 458km south east of Sana’a. An asphalt road links the two cities via Marib, Harib ,Baihan and Ridhab –Ataq. THE ROAD THEN LINKS Shabwa with Abyan and Hadhramout Governorate across Naqba.

Ataq is a modern city. There is a museum with a valuable collection of antiquities from different areas of Shabwa, especially the ancient city of Shabwa, the capital of the ancient kingdom of Hadhramout, Also in the museum are relics from the archaeological sites of the ancient Qataban and Osan kingdom.

 Baihan

Bihan is located to the north-west of Ataq. It is a beautiful city with houses built of adobe blocks, an architectural style that is prevalent in the eastern part of Yemen, it stretches from Sa’da, passing by Al-Jowf and Marib and southwards to the coasts of the Arabian Sea. This city also has a museum containing a good variety of examples from the Qataban archaeological sites, which are near to Baihan of which:

 Qataban Dynasty (a historical resume):

The old Yemeni civilization did not prosper on the banks of rivers like other civilizations of the ancient world like that in the Nile or Mesopotamia but flourished on the banks of valleys and Qataban is one of the ancient Yemenite states which flourished on the bank of Baihan valley at the fringe of the Empty Quarter near Hadhramawt, Sheba, Maeen and Ausan. The state was established on natural, climate, social, Economic circumstances similar to the other Yemenite civilizations. Through the scientific studies which covered a number of archaeological sites it shows that Sheba, Maeen, Qataban and Hadhramout are similar in their development stages to a great extent in all the fields whether Economic, Social, religious or Political. The studies conducted in Wadi Baihan and Wadi Al Joubah refer to the fact that the prosperity of ancient Yemenite kingdoms including the Qatabanite must have taken place during the onset of first millennium BC. Concerning the history of Qataban as per what a provided for in the inscription, the first mention of Qataban is in the Sabaen inscription of King Karib-II-Water who is the last Mukarrib and the first to bear the title of king.

Qataban during that period was a vassal of Sheba which enabled it to get rid of the Ausanide control. The inscriptions confirm that Qataban was the exclusive during the first era whose first king carried the title of Mukarrib as is the case with Sheba for this title combines religious and political authority. Tamna was the political of Qataban and the biggest Qatabanite city Wadi Baihan amid the distance between Shabwa the capital of Hadhramout and Marib the capital of Sheba. The Qatabanites gave the agriculture affairs their full attention as found in their construction of dams, long distance canals using cement like substance as well as their drilling of wells.

From their location on the trade route which is termed and renowned as Ollibanum Route the Qatabanites achieved big interests this aspect and it would seem that the Qatabanite commercial activities were like Transit Trade of nowadays. The Qatabanites have drilled a route which they carved in the Mabalaqah Mount for a distance of 5km between Wadi Baihan and Al Joubah Oasis, may be the objective behind carving such a route was for delineating the route and campaigning of smuggling and may be that happened after it flourished and get rid of the domination of its northern neighbor Sheba during the fourth century BC. Then in alliance with Hadhramout Dynasty was able to extend its domination and influence to the South till the Coast on the Arabian Sea and the valley of Joubah at the distance of one day from Marib the capital city of Sheba. During the third and second century BC Qataban reached its optimum prosperity. Qataban paid more attention to the issuance of legislation, laws and regulations and was more orderly with regard to commerce and markets. Till this day in Shamir market there is the most famous Yemenite Obelisk on which there are inscriptions determining those working in Trade and what taxes and fees imposed in them, Shamir Market is the market of the Qatabanite Dynasty nowadays is called Hajar Kohlan. Timna the Qatabanite the prosperous and heritage like the other ancient towns of eastern Felix Yemen started its way towards demise as the as the One Tenth dedicated for the goddess A’am in the Qatabanite cities enough to encourage them to serve the goddess wholeheartedly and the goddess A’ am was not able to defend the cities of Qataban against the attacks of Hadhramout during the 1st century AD. During the second century AD, the moon A’am demised and its remaining was annexed to Hadhramout. 

 Important Archaeological, Historical and Tourist Attractions

Tamna’a (Capital of Qatban)

The city of Tamna’a is one left Bank of Wadi Bihan at the fringes of the desert plain, 30km from the city was the capital of the ancient kingdom of Qataban, which flourished during the 4th century BC. It was an important station on the ancient incense road and was a collection point for taxes from the caravans in return for protection. The incense caravans, after setting out from Tamna’a had to travel a distance of 1487,5 Mile (2.380km), to reach its final destination, Gaza on the Mediterranean coast. By then, the caravan would have passed through 65 stations at which the camels would rest.

The American Anthropological Institute’s expedition carried out excavation work at Tamna’a Hajar Hajar Bin Hameed and Haid Bin Aqeel in 1951.

These excavations showed that Tamna’a was a prosperous city with gold , a rich heritage ,temples of the goddess “A’am” (Moon). Some of the important antiquities found were:

Tow bronze lions, one of them carrying a child in the image of Cupid, the son of Venus, goddess of love. Qatabanite law Obelisk, Water canals built out of stone and cemented with substance similar to water resistant cement.

Also unearthed were canals extending from Baihan to a distance of 15Miles(25km, dating back to the 5th century BC.

Hajar Bin Hameed

It is one of the Archaeological Qatabanite Towns 15km away to the south of Tamna’a on an Oval hill lying at a height of 70 feet from the surface of the valley at the Bifurcate of the ancient Routes and is less in size than Tamna. The American Mission for Anthropological studies sees that the establishment of the city must have taken place between 1100-900BC.

Mablakah Route

May be the Qatabanites were more in control and domination of the Incense /Ollibanum /Myrrh Route which was passing through the lands and Stations of Qataban by their carrying out of a huge work in domination and control as well as prevention of smuggling for they carved in stone a mountainous route linking Baihan Valley with Hareeb Valley through Mablqah Mount which is 1000 feet (380m) above sea level, the length of the route 3miles (4.8km) in dangerous slopes and the width of the route amounted from 12 to 15 feet paved with stones and protected at the sides by walls. The Mountainous strait of Mablaqah was a conjunction point of many routes and Paths of Incense/Myrrh and Ollibanum.

Ruins of the Ancient City of Shabwa

This city was built on the bank of Armah valley. Like other ancient Yemenite cities, which were founded on the banks of valley, Shibwa is located at the starting point of Wadi Hadhramout to the western outskirts, extending northwards 100km north of Ataq, the capital of Shabwa Governorate.

Shabwa was the capital of the ancient Kingdom of Hadhramout and was the largest of its cities. It was an important center for the grouping of the old trading caravans. A caravan had to pay one-tenth of the value of its load to the priest of the temple in the name of Goddess “ Seen” the Banquet Host ”the moon”.

It is said that Shabwa used to maintain 60 temples and that it was the religious center in ancient Hadhramout. Smuggling or deviation from the fixed trading route was a crime publishable by death. One of the gates of the city was set aside for the entry of the caravans.

A number of archaeologists have explored Shabwa at different times and some of the relics unearthed are on show at the Ataq Museum. Many features of ancient Shabwa are:

-         Ruins of the Royal Palace to the east.

-         Parts of the city wall which are still standing around the northern gate.

-         Ruins of ancient temples.

There have been no agreements on the history of ancient Shabwa and the remaining Yemenite kingdoms.

Some think that the Kingdom Of Hadhramout flourished between the 11th and 4tyh centuries BC, but recent studies indicate that Yemen’s civilization must have flourished around 1000 BC. Through some probes that showed nearly results. These conclusions have been dawn from a number of soil tests carried out by the American Anthropological Institute in Hajar Bin Hameed in 1951 and Jobah in Marib Governorate in 1980.

The results of which were very similar. The outcome of these studies indicates that man domesticated the camel around 1300 BC, and it is well known that the camel was the backbone of a flourishing trade at the time.

Maifa’a

Maifa’a lies on the banks of wadi Maifa’a, on the side of the asphalt road linking Shabwa with Hadhramout, nearby the village of Azzan. It is believed that Maifa’ah preceded Shabwa as the capital of Ancient Hadhramout, or at one point in time performed that role.

Maifa’a had a stonewall with a number of towers, which is indicative of the significance of the city in ancient Hadhramout. It had a number of temples which were destroyed around the 4th century AD. Today, the city is no more than ruins, but its ruins show signs of a grate and glorious past.

Habban and Azzan

These two villages are the most beautiful in Shabwa Governorate. They are no the asphalt road which is used by tourists and come from Abyan and Ataq to Muklla in Hadhramout. Both have beautiful houses built of adobe and are high-rise structures, especially the village of Azzan that is also surrounded by rows of palm trees.

Bir Ali (Ancient port of Qana)

This area consists of a number of beautiful Sandy beaches. Some of the most attractive in Yemen. It is a coastal village and finishing port on the edge of the Gulf 120km from Mukalla and 140km from Ataq. On the other side of the Gulf there is a volcanic hill overlooking the south western entrance of the Gulf and it is, the very location of the ancient port of Qana, once the main port of old ancient Yemenite Dynasty of Hadhramout from which Myrrh, Incense and Ollibanum used to be exported either by land the historical Ollibanum Route or by sea. The port of Qana was in close relationship with Dhofar (currently part of Oman), coasts of India and Somalia. The volcanic hill is called nowadays Husn Al-Ghurab, and contains ruins of a control tower which was linked to the port and the water reservoirs. There are relics at the foot of the original location of the city of Qana.

Hot & Sulphurous Springs

There are many and Sulfur springs in Shabwa Governorate such as nearby Rudhoum Baths, which are considered the largest such springs in Yemen.

Tourist Roads in Shabwa

Many such roads pass through various parts of Shabwa, namely: desert roads between Shabwa and Marib which transverse desert and valley, passing by beautiful villages on the way: Sa’eed, Yashbum and       Rawdah, which are important as handicraft centers for manufacturing materials such as textiles and a third route near to the beautiful beaches of Bir Ali and Balhaf.

The Incense Road (for the adventurer in you)

A new tourist road passes the towns, stations and forts of the ancient incenses Route. This road starts at Qana port, on the coast of the Arabian Sea, on towards old Shabwa capital of ancient Hadhramout dynasty, to Tamna’a, the capital of Qataban and Hajar Bin Hameed in Baihan, across Mablaqah Strait (Hano Al Zareer), to Harib, Joba and Jarsha, old Hafri city (in Yella and Shaab Al Aqi), and then to Marib capital of Sheba, Kharbat Soud in Wadi Raghwan, heading towards the towns, cities and stations of Ma’een Kingdom in Wadi Allisan, from then it goes to Baraqish, Ahqaf, Doroub Al Sabi and Manassat Al-Muqfar. The road then reaches maeen Qarnnaw capital of Maeen, across Kharbat Hamdan (Kharbat Al ali), Old Harem, Nashin, (Al Sawda) Ishtar Temple (Morning Star), Nashiq (Al Bayda), and then across Jowf valley to Saada to Najiran.