Zafar, Yemen
ظفار | |
| Location | Ibb, Yemen |
|---|---|
| Coordinates | 14°12′41″N 44°24′31″E / 14.21139°N 44.40861°E |
| Type | settlement |
| Length | 1200 m |
| Width | 1000 m |
| Area | 110 ha |
| Height | 2800 m |
| History | |
| Builder | Himyarite |
| Material | stone |
| Founded | 2nd? century BCE |
| Abandoned | 6th century CE |
| Periods | Himyarite |
| Cultures | South Arabia |
| Site notes | |
| Excavation dates | 1998–2009 |
| Archaeologists | Paul Yule |
| Condition | badly plundered |
| Ownership | public |
| Management | GOAM |
| Public access | presently inaccessible |
Ẓafār (Arabic: ظفار), also Romanized Dhafar or Dhofar, is an ancient Himyarite site situated in Yemen, some 130 km south-south-east of today's capital, Sana'a, and c. 10 kilometres (6.2 mi) south-east of Yarim. Given mention in several ancient texts, there is little doubt about the pronunciation of the name. This site in Yemen is far older than its namesake in Oman. It lies in the Yemeni highlands at some 2800 m. Zafar was the capital of the Himyarites (110 BCE – 525 CE), which at its peak ruled most of the Arabian Peninsula. For 250 years the tribal confederacy and allies' combined territory extended past Riyadh to the north and the Euphrates to the north-east.