Al-Hudaydah

The Old City of Al-Hudaydah (Ḥārat al-Sūr) is a historic coastal quarter located in Al Hudaydah Governorate, Yemen. Mentioned in sources by the mid-15th century AD, it grew in importance during the Ottoman period as a major Red Sea port and commercial center. Merchants from Yemen, Hadramawt, India, and East Asia lived within its walled district, shaping a cosmopolitan trading community connected to regional and international maritime routes, particularly in the trade of coffee and other goods. The quarter preserves traditional Tihāmah architecture built of baked brick, coral lime, and plaster, forming dense multi-storey houses around historic markets and narrow streets.

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