Al Mukalla

Al Mukalla

The city of Al Mukalla is a seaport and the capital of Yemen's biggest governorate, Hadhramaut. It is located in the southern Arabian Peninsula, 480 kilometers east of Aden, in the Gulf of Aden, on the coast of the Arabian Sea. Al Mukalla was established as a fishing village in 1035. Following a struggle for control between the Kathiris and the Qu'aiti Sultanate in the 19th and 20th centuries, the city became the capital of the Qu'aiti state of Hadhramaut. The city's main attraction is the old town, which is open to tourists. Attractions include the Royal Palace of the Sultan. Around the old city are watchtowers that were outposts, and in the vicinity are the Hadhramaut Mountains, like Husn Ghuraf. Al-Ghwayzi Fort is located at the foot of the Hadhramaut Mountains, it is reputed to be an architectural marvel built at the foot of a cliff, which was designed to guard the city from Bedouin attacks. The fortress was built in 1716, when the sultans of the Emirate of Al-Qassad controlled the Hadhramaut region. The fort is situated at the north-eastern entrance to the city, and is a historic center for visitors, which is surrounded by a public park. The fort is on two levels, the first floor has a number of rooms, the outer walls of which have a number of circular windows overlooking all directions. The second floor is distinguished by its wide windows, and the top of the fortress is surrounded by a barrier that extends 1.5 meters from the roof top. The barrier was built of traditional stone, while the rest of the fort was built of straw-broken bricks and a roof of palm logs.