The Victory Rock-Script of Sirwah [Archives:2001/27/Culture]

Hassan Al-Zaidi
Yemen Times
The Sirwah city, 50 km to the west of Mareb, is one of the most ancient Yemeni cities that dates back to the Sabaeen’s regime. The glory of Sabaeen Kingdom is still seen in many of the ancient sites here. Despite the treasures the city of Sirwah possesses, many are still unearthed. The German expedition, which stopped working two months ago, tried to dismantle all new buildings that have crept on the historical city.
The 16-meter-height fence of Ilmaqah Temple is still piercing the sky in the middle of the city. The temple was built by the Sabean king Yada Aal Dureij who ruled Yemen in the first third of the 7th century. King Yada is considered the most famous in building temples. As mentioned in the inscriptions indicate that it was he who fenced the Awam Temple in the Al-Masajed area in the south of Mareb.
Sirwah Temple
This temple which is also called Ilmaqah (the moon) is the main god of the Sabaeens. There were many symbols to refer to this god, such as the bull’s face. This shows how the moon was held in higher esteem than the sun, probably because the benefit caravans got from the moon.
The Victory Rock-Inscription
This is the oldest inscription in the peninsula and the oldest geographical reference to the political Yemen in the first half of the first century. The drawings are engraved in a couple of 10-meter rocks in the middle of the temple. This inscription records the battles of the Karb Aal Watar, the first Yemeni leader to unify the whole land of Yemen.
The city is gifted with many tourist potentials, which, once exploited properly, will attract many tourists and visitors.

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