Haribat

Haribat (modern Hajar Hanu al-Zurayr) is an archaeological site located in Shabwah Governorate, southern Yemen. It was founded during the early centuries of the 1st millennium BC and developed into the commercial capital of the Kingdom of Qataban. Positioned along the main caravan route linking Timna with the interior via the stone-paved pass of Najd Marqad, Haribat played a key role in regional and long-distance trade. The city is characterized by a compact rectangular layout with fortified residential and commercial buildings forming an integrated defensive perimeter, while central open spaces and large storage facilities reflect its function as a major hub for caravan loading, storage, and redistribution of goods.

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