Maṣna'at Māriya

Maṣna'at Māriya (14°30’N; 44°15’E), Dhamar Governorate, Yemen.

This pre-Islamic Himyarite archaeological site is one of the largest in the Yemen. In the local language the name means the fortress of a word the meaning of which is disputed. The site lies 11 km west of the town of Dhamar. It is important as a large escarpment site partly of late pre-Islamic date. Inside one of the four city gates a text written Sabaic describes the roads in the area.