Ṯulā

Thula is a walled mountain town northwest of Sanaa, built beneath a high rocky fortress. Its closely packed houses rise several storeys in local stone, with steep stairways and carefully worked façades. Gates and walls protect the town below, while a path climbs to the stronghold above it. Ancient South Arabian remains testify to the long occupation of the site.

In the sixteenth century the Zaydi leader al-Mutahhar used Thula and nearby Kawkaban as bases in resistance to Ottoman rule. The mountain fortifications gave his supporters places from which to challenge the armies sent against them. Control of these strongholds and the roads near Sanaa was central to the struggle for Yemen's highlands. Thula's walls and tower-like houses preserve the character of a town whose architecture served both daily life and defence.