Al-Luḥayya

Al-Luḥayyah stands on Yemen’s Tihamah coastal plain, close to the Red Sea. Its harbour lies six kilometres southwest of the town, partly sheltered by Al-Urmak Island; mangrove creeks and coral shallows mark the surrounding shore. This small protected approach supported fishing and shipping despite the heat and scarcity of the lowland.

Local tradition says Sheikh Ali az-Zayla‘i founded the town at the beginning of the fifteenth century after arriving from Zeila. Pilgrimage to the holy man buried in its mosque attracted settlers. By the mid-fifteenth century Al-Luḥayyah had grown into a substantial exporter of Yemeni coffee, and its merchants handled fish, pearls and goods moving along the Red Sea. Fortifications and a town wall protected the growing market.

At the end of the eighteenth century the az-Zayla‘i family still held religious prestige, and the town remained a fortified trading centre. Danish travellers recorded their reception by Emir Farhan. Ottoman authority expanded from about 1800, but Al-Luḥayyah retained its port, mosques and distinctive brick architecture. Its trading importance rested on the sheltered harbour, coffee exports and routes joining Tihamah with the Yemeni highlands.