Taiz

Taiz is a big city in Yemen.

It sits near the Red Sea. The land there is hot and dry.

Many houses are made of brown bricks. You can see white mosques too. A large mountain sits near the city.

People grow yummy food like mangoes and bananas. They also grow coffee in the hills. Taiz is a very special place in Yemen.

Taiz is a large city in Yemen. It sits in the highlands of the country. The city is near the Red Sea.

It is the third largest city in Yemen. About 940,600 people live there.

Taiz has a long history. A ruler named Abdullah bin Muhammad al-Sulayhi built Al-Qahira Castle long ago. The city was once a capital for Yemen. It was known as a center for study.

Many people visit the old mosques. These include the Ashrafiya, the Mua'tabiya, and the Mudhaffar Mosque.

Most houses are made of brown bricks. The mosques are often painted white.

The land around the city is hot and dry. A big mountain called Jabal Saber sits nearby.

Farmers grow many things in the soil. They grow coffee, mangoes, and bananas. They also grow onions and citrus fruit. People also make cheese in the rural areas. Sadly, a war has made life hard in Taiz. Fighting has hurt many old buildings and shops. Many roads are now hard to use.

Taiz is a large city in southwestern Yemen. It sits high up in the Yemeni highlands. The city is located near the port of Mocha on the Red Sea.

It is the capital of the Taiz Governorate. As of 2023, about 940,600 people live in the city. This makes it the third largest city in the whole country. The weather there is hot and semi-arid.

The city has a very long and interesting history. The first mention of Taiz was in the early 12th century. A ruler named Abdullah bin Muhammad al-Sulayhi built Al-Qahira Castle then. Later, the city became a capital for Yemen. The Rasulid dynasty ruled from 1229 to 1454. During this time, Taiz reached a golden age. Sultans built many beautiful palaces and mosques. The city even became a famous center for religious study.

Many famous landmarks can be found throughout the city. Most houses are built using brown bricks. Many mosques are whitewashed to look bright.

You can visit the Ashrafiya, the Mudhaffar, and the Mua'tabiya mosques. The Cairo Citadel sits on a hill overlooking the old city. Another landmark is the governor's palace on a mountain spur. The huge mountain Jabal Saber also stands near the city. It offers great views of everything below.

Taiz is also a place where many things are grown. In the past, it was famous for making Mocha coffee. Today, farmers still grow coffee in the area. They also grow mangoes, bananas, and citrus fruits. Other crops include pomegranates, onions, and cereals. People in rural areas like Araf and Hajda also make cheese. This cheese is sold in local markets like Bab al-Kabeer. The city also has industries like jewelry making and tanning.

Life in Taiz has become very difficult lately due to war. A civil war began in 2015 and changed the city. Fighting has happened between different groups like the Houthis. This war has caused a lot of trouble for people. Many goods are hard to find in the shops. Some roads are hard to use because of the fighting. The city was once called the cultural capital of Yemen. Now, many people focus on the hard work of surviving the conflict.

Taiz is a major city located in southwestern Yemen. It sits within the Yemeni highlands near the Red Sea. The city is close to the port of Mocha. Taiz serves as the capital of the Taiz Governorate. As of 2023, the city has about 940,600 residents. This makes it the third largest city in Yemen. The local climate is classified as hot and semi-arid.

The history of Taiz began in the first half of the 12th century CE. Abdullah bin Muhammad al-Sulayhi, the sultan of the Sulayhid dynasty, built Al-Qahira Castle. The city became an urbanized area under his brother, Ali bin Muhammad al-Sulayhi. Later, Prince Al-Mansur bin Al-Mufaddal bin Abi Al-Barakat sold many cities to the ruler of Aden. He kept only the fortresses of Taiz and Sabr. In 1173 CE, Turan-Shah conquered Yemen and ruled the city. He was the older brother of the famous leader Saladin. Turan-Shah built a citadel on a hill above the old city.

Taiz held great political importance for many centuries. In 1175 CE, it became the capital of Yemen under the Ayyubid dynasty. The city expanded quickly under the Rasulid dynasty from 1229 to 1454. The second Rasulid King, Almaddhafar, moved the capital from Sanaa to Taiz in 1288 CE. He did this because Taiz was close to Aden. This era was known as a golden age for the city. Sultans spent large amounts of money on mosques and palaces. The city became a famous center for studying the Shafi'i school of Islamic jurisprudence.

In 1332, the traveler Ibn Battutah visited the city. He described Taiz as one of the largest and most beautiful towns in Yemen. He noted that the city was divided into three distinct quarters. The first quarter was the residence for the king and his court. The second quarter, called ʽUdayna, served as a military station. The third quarter, al-Mahálib, was for common people and contained the main market. Later, the capital moved back to Sanaa in 1500. The Ottomans took control of Taiz in 1516. By 1918, the Mutawakkilite Kingdom of Yemen gained independence from the Ottomans.

Architecture in Taiz has a very specific look. Most houses are built using brown bricks. Many mosques are whitewashed to stand out. Some of the most famous landmarks include the Ashrafiya, the Mudhaffar, and the Mua'tabiya mosques.

The Cairo Citadel looms over the city from the south. The governor's palace sits on a mountain spur. Nearby, the mountain Jabal Saber offers wide views of the region. The city also has a zoo that once held Arabian leopards and African lions.

The economy of Taiz relies on both farming and industry. Historically, the city was famous for producing Mocha coffee. Farmers still grow coffee, mangoes, and pomegranates in the area. They also grow citrus, bananas, onions, and cereals. In rural areas like Araf and Hajda, people produce cheese. This cheese is sold in the Bab al-Kabeer and Bab Musa markets. The city also has industries for tanning, jewelry, and cotton-weaving. However, the civil war that began in 2015 has devastated these economic activities.

Conflict has deeply changed life in Taiz recently. During the Yemeni Civil War, the city became a site of intense fighting. In March 2015, Houthi forces and supporters of Ali Abdullah Saleh took control. This led to a military confrontation with forces loyal to Abd Rabbuh Mansur Hadi. The city faced a siege that caused extreme food shortages. A frontline now runs through the city from east to west. Traveling across the city can take five hours due to this line. The war has also damaged the city's history. Airstrikes damaged the Cairo Citadel in 2015. In 2016, shelling destroyed many manuscripts at the Taiz Museum. Because of the fighting, the city is sometimes called the "city of snipers."