ظفار | |
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Location | Ibb, Yemen |
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Coordinates | 14°12′41″N 44°24′31″E / 14.21139°N 44.40861°E |
Type | settlement |
Length | 1200 m |
Width | 1000 m |
Area | 110 ha |
Height | 2800 m |
History | |
Builder | Himyarite |
Material | stone |
Founded | 2nd? century BCE |
Abandoned | 6th century CE |
Periods | Himyarite |
Cultures | South Arabia |
Site notes | |
Excavation dates | 1998–2009 |
Archaeologists | Paul Yule |
Condition | badly plundered |
Ownership | public |
Management | GOAM |
Public access | presently inaccessible |
Ẓafār (Arabic: ظفار), also called Dhafar or Dhofar, is an ancient Himyarite site situated in Yemen, some 130 km south-south-east of today's capital, Sana'a, and c. 10 kilometres (6.2 mi) southeast of Yarim. Given mention in several ancient texts, there is little doubt about the pronunciation of the name.[1] Despite the opinion of local patriots in Oman, this site in Yemen is far older than its namesake there.[2] It lies in the Yemeni highlands at some 2800 m. Zafar was the capital of the Himyarites (110 BCE – 525 CE), which at its peak ruled most of the Arabian Peninsula.[3] For 250 years the tribal confederacy and allies' combined territory extended past Riyadh to the north and the Euphrates to the north-east.