Ma'īn

Main occupies the site of ancient Qarnawu in the Jawf valley of northern Yemen. It was the capital of the Minaean kingdom, whose merchants participated in the long-distance trade in incense and other goods. Inscriptions preserve the names of its rulers and their relationships with neighbouring South Arabian powers. The city's buried remains lie in the plain between the surrounding mountains, a reminder of the towns that flourished along the old caravan routes.