Product Code Database
Ghumdan Palace, also Qasir Ghumdan or Ghamdan Palace, is an ancient fortified palace in Sana'a, Yemen, going back to the ancient Kingdom of Saba. All that remains of the ancient site (Ar. khadd) of Ghumdan is a field of tangled ruins opposite the first and second of the eastern doors of the Jami‘ Al Kabeer Mosque (Great Mosque of Sana'a). This part of Sana'a forms an eminence which is known to contain the debris of ancient times. The place is located on the extreme southeastern end of Sanaa's old walled city, al-Qaṣr, just west of where the Great Mosque of Sana'a was later built,R. Serjeant & R. Lewcock, San'a'; An Arabian Islamic City, London 1983 and is part of the UNESCO World Heritage Site of the Old City of Sana'a. It is sometimes referred to as Ghumdan Tower.
According to Arab geographer and historian, Al-Hamdani (c. 893-945), the foundation stones of Ghumdan Palace were laid by Shem, the son of Noah, and finished by the Sabaean monarch Ilī-Sharḥa Yaḥḍib (ca. 8th century BCE), the father of Bilqis.Al-Hamdāni, al-Ḥasan ibn Aḥmad, The Antiquities of South Arabia - The Eighth Book of Al-Iklīl, Oxford University Press 1938, pp. 8-9; 18–21 Others say that it was built by Sha'r Awtar who walled the city of Sana'a,Aithe, p.30. while yet others suggest that it may date to pre-Islamic times, constructed by the Sabaeans during the reign of the last great Sabaean King Ilasaros (ca. 60-20 BCE). Some historians date it to the beginning of the 2nd century or the 1st century. The palace was destroyed by Caliph Uthman, or even earlier, by Kaleb. Restored several times, the palace history is represented in numerous legends and tales. It is mentioned in many pieces of Arabic poetry, the poets singing about its beauty. Ghumdan Palace tower, a 20-storey high-rise building, is believed by some to have been the world's earliest skyscraper.
The palace was used by the last Himyarite kings, who had ruled Yemen from Ghumdan and was once the residence of Al-Aswad Al-Ansi. It was reportedly destroyed by Caliph Uthman in the 7th century because he feared it could be used as a stronghold for a rebellion. Some of its materials were re-used to build the Great Mosque.
The palace was reconstructed some time later but deteriorated over time. The ruins of the palace tower are now in the form of a mound that extends from the east of the Great Mosque to the north of Bab Al-Yemen.
Built over a square layout, the top floor of the tower contained the Bilqis Hall, also described by al-Hamdani (two volumes, preserved in the British Museum), featured a ceiling affixed with eight-piece transparent marble . Openings at the four corners of the hall provided a clear view of the moon, worshipped by kings in ancient Yemen. Bronze lion figures at each corner of the alabaster ceilings were said to make a roaring sound when the wind passed through them. However, the most extraordinary feature of the palace was said to have been the clepsydra, an ancient time-telling device, which was built therein.Al-Hamdāni, al-Ḥasan ibn Aḥmad, The Antiquities of South Arabia - The Eighth Book of Al-Iklīl, Oxford University Press 1938, p. 15 A gate, known as the “Qasr Al-Selah”, is said to be the last vestige of the palace tower.
Dhu Jadan al-Himyari (fl. 6th - 7th century) wrote:
The poet Adiy b. Zayd al-Hiri wrote:
Long after its destruction, the 10th century geographer al Hamdani (c. 893-945) quoted verses reflecting the legend of the tower of Ghumdan:
In pre-Islamic poetry
The Ghumdan Palace is mentioned in pre-Islamic poetry with the poets singing about its beauty. Legend states that when birds flew over the palace, their shadows could be seen on the ceiling.
See also
Notes
|
|
