📊 Overview

Dhamar is an ancient highland city in western Yemen, lying in the Yemen Highlands at 2,400 meters (8,000 feet) above sea level between two volcanic peaks. Built by the legendary Himyarite King Dhamar Ali Yahbir II, who ruled the Kingdom of Saba' and ḏu-Raydān from c. 135 to 175 CE, the city has been a center of civilization for nearly two millennia. Renowned for its numerous historical mosques and schools distinguished by their characteristic architecture in harmony with the colors of the volcanic landscape, Dhamar serves as Yemen's agricultural powerhouse, contributing 5.3% of the nation's total agricultural output through specialization in grain production, livestock, and handicrafts. The city is home to the University of Thamar, the largest university in Yemen with 136,000 students, and serves as the headquarters for GAARES (General Authority for Agricultural Research and Extension Services). Dhamar's population has experienced remarkable growth, expanding from 9,346 in 1950 to 440,006 in 2025. The city endured Yemen's most disastrous earthquake on December 13, 1982, when a 6.2 magnitude quake killed 2,800 people, injured 1,500, displaced 700,000, and destroyed approximately 300 villages, prompting massive reconstruction efforts that built 15,000 new housing units.

🏛️ Major Attractions

💼 Economy & Industry

Dhamar's economy is anchored by agriculture, which contributes 5.3% of Yemen's total agricultural output, making the city an essential component of the nation's food security and rural economy. Located in the mountainous Sarawat region which receives higher rainfall than the remainder of Yemen, Dhamar has historically been an important agricultural center. The city serves as a market center for surrounding highland plateaus, with farmers producing diverse crops including sorghum, wheat, barley, and millet that thrive in the district's favorable climate and elevation. Pump-irrigated cereal grain, especially wheat, provides reliable harvests, while coffee was historically grown as a cash crop alongside diverse farm production of vegetables. Livestock raising is integral to the local economy, with pastures contributing around 30% of livestock feed requirements, and typical farmers raising chickens, goats, sheep, or cattle. Dhamar is particularly noted for horse breeding, a tradition dating to ancient times. Traditional handicraft industries continue to operate, producing items that achieved great renown in the past: jewelry (especially silver and gold filigree), leatherwork, carpets, glass, cooking utensils, daggers and other metalwork, decorative woodwork, and stained-glass windows. These handicrafts are sold both in local markets and distributed to other regions. The presence of GAARES (General Authority for Agricultural Research and Extension Services) headquarters in Dhamar, along with eight research stations scattered around the country, supports agricultural development and innovation. The University of Thamar, with 136,000 students, contributes significantly to the local economy through employment, student spending, and research activities. The reconstruction following the 1982 earthquake, which built 15,000 new housing units, stimulated construction and related industries. However, the ongoing conflict in Yemen has severely impacted Dhamar's economy, with agriculture in distress due to fighting, climate challenges including drought, and disruption of markets and supply chains. International development organizations including FAO and UNDP work to support climate-resilient agriculture and sustainable livelihoods for rural populations in the Dhamar governorate, aiming to help farmers maintain production despite conflict and environmental pressures.

📜 History

Dhamar's history extends back nearly two millennia to the reign of the legendary Himyarite King Dhamar Ali Yahbir II (also known as Dhamar'alī Yuhabirr), who ruled the Kingdom of Saba' and ḏu-Raydān from c. 135 to 175 CE. The king founded the city that bears his name, and during his rule, reports show repairs were made to the vital irrigation works at the Marib Dam, demonstrating the kingdom's sophisticated water management systems. Bronze statues of King Dhamar'alî Yuhabirr were discovered in an-Nakhla al-Hamrâ in the Dhamar Governorate, providing archaeological evidence of the city's ancient origins. The Himyarite Kingdom (c. 110 BCE - 525 CE) controlled much of the southwestern Arabian Peninsula, and Dhamar served as an important highland settlement within this realm, positioned strategically at 2,400 meters elevation between two volcanic peaks. Unlike other cities in Yemen, Dhamar historically lacked city walls, though it possessed a fortress located to the south of the city for defense. From the 12th through 17th centuries, textual sources described Dhamar as a collection of disjointed villages rather than a unified urban center. The city achieved prominence as the principal religious center of the Zaydī sect of Islam, with a renowned madrasah (theological school) attracting scholars from across the Arabian Peninsula. The Great Mosque, built in the 12th century, became a centerpiece of this religious tradition. French traveller Charles-Jacques Poncet described Dhamar during his 1699 visit as significant in the religious and political landscape of highland Yemen. The city's architecture evolved to incorporate the distinctive volcanic stone from the surrounding landscape, creating the characteristic harmony between buildings and the colors of the volcanic land that still defines Dhamar's aesthetic today. Throughout the Ottoman period and into the 20th century, Dhamar maintained its role as an agricultural center and religious hub. The city's population grew modestly, from an estimated 9,346 in 1950 to expanding through the subsequent decades as Yemen modernized. On December 13, 1982, at 12:12 PM, disaster struck when a 6.2 magnitude earthquake with intensity VIII (Severe) on the Mercalli scale hit Dhamar, causing the most catastrophic natural disaster in Yemen's recorded history. The quake killed 2,800 people, injured 1,500, displaced 700,000, and destroyed or severely damaged approximately 300 villages across the Dhamar province. It was the deadliest earthquake globally in 1982 and ranked as the 7th most fatal quake of the 1980s. The subsequent reconstruction effort was massive, with the government and international assistance building 15,000 new housing units in Dhamar and surrounding areas - these new structures were locally controversial due to their modern design which departed from traditional architectural styles, but they provided essential shelter for the displaced population. The reconstruction fundamentally reshaped the modern city's urban fabric. In 1996, a major milestone came with the inauguration of the University of Thamar on August 24, transforming Dhamar into Yemen's largest educational center with eventually 136,000 students. The city also became headquarters for GAARES (General Authority for Agricultural Research and Extension Services), cementing its role as the center of Yemen's agricultural development and research. Dhamar's population experienced dramatic growth, expanding from 405,000 in 2023 to 423,000 in 2024 (a 4.44% increase) and reaching 440,006 by 2025 (a 4.13% annual change), making it one of Yemen's fastest-growing cities. However, this growth occurred against the backdrop of Yemen's devastating civil war that began in 2014, with the conflict severely impacting agriculture, displacing populations, disrupting markets, and straining the city's infrastructure and services. Despite these challenges, Dhamar continues to serve as Yemen's agricultural powerhouse, contributing 5.3% of national agricultural output, and maintains its historic role as a market center, religious hub, and educational beacon in the Yemen Highlands, positioned between volcanic peaks at the crossroads of ancient trade routes and modern development challenges.

🌐 Korean Today Bureau

The Korean Today International Bureau in Dhamar serves as a specialized correspondent post documenting ancient Arabian civilizations, Islamic scholarship, and contemporary conflict dynamics in the Yemen Highlands. Established to chronicle the legacy of the Himyarite Kingdom and the challenges facing modern Yemen, the bureau provides Korean-language coverage of Dhamar's unique position as a city founded nearly two millennia ago by King Dhamar Ali Yahbir II (c. 135-175 CE) and its contemporary role as Yemen's agricultural powerhouse contributing 5.3% of national output. The bureau's reporting illuminates the architectural heritage of mosques and schools built in harmony with volcanic landscape colors, the significance of the University of Thamar as Yemen's largest with 136,000 students, and the city's dramatic setting at 2,400 meters elevation between volcanic peaks in the Harras of Dhamar volcanic field. Coverage extends to the tragedy and resilience demonstrated by the 1982 earthquake - Yemen's deadliest on record with 2,800 deaths, 1,500 injuries, and 700,000 displaced - and the massive reconstruction effort that built 15,000 housing units. The bureau provides specialized reporting on Yemen's agricultural sector, documenting grain production (sorghum, wheat, barley, millet), livestock raising, traditional handicrafts (silver filigree, leatherwork, carpets, metalwork), and the work of GAARES agricultural research stations. Through features on Dhamar's history as the principal center of Zaydī Islam with its renowned madrasah, the 12th-century Great Mosque, and archaeological finds including bronze statues of the Himyarite king, the bureau connects Korean audiences with lesser-known aspects of Arabian Peninsula history. The bureau also covers the humanitarian impact of Yemen's ongoing civil war on agricultural communities, documenting how conflict and climate challenges threaten food security in a governorate that once reliably produced crops due to the Sarawat region's higher rainfall. By reporting on international development efforts by FAO and UNDP to support climate-resilient agriculture and sustainable livelihoods, the bureau provides insights into post-conflict reconstruction challenges and the intersection of traditional agricultural practices with modern development needs, offering perspectives relevant to global food security and the preservation of ancient urban centers amid contemporary conflicts.