Qarnow Tourism and Heritage Festival - AlJawf, Yemen 13-15 Dec 2006

Do you like camel, horse, and car races? Wide open spaces, spectacular sunsets. Sunrise and a hot cup of Arab coffee in a remote paradise on Earth where harmony reigns, and man and nature live embraced. Such place actually exists.

Wilderness, a unique culture and contemporary luxury in a setting that almost defies description. Named after the historic city of Qarnow, the capital of Yemeni pre-Islamic kingdom of Ma’een, the importance of the festival is to promote the rich heritage of AlJawf area. Sponsored by the Yemeni Ministry of Tourism and Yemeni Tourism Promotion Board, the aim is also to establish desert tourism. Horse racing, camel racing and car racing as well as a number of other activities are on the program during this year`s Second Qarnow festival.

There is plenty of history here. The neighboring Baraqish in AlJawf Governorate is the most impressive archaeological site and best preserved ancient walled town in Yemen. Once it had more than fifty towers, and its walls reached up to 14 m high. Lying in the wide Wadi Fardha, it was previously known as Yathil, the dominant town in the Minean kingdom and an important centre for the incense trade.

The Sabeans had controlled this whole region but by the end of the great Sabean era in 410 BC Main broke away and formed an alliance with Hadhramaut to open up new caravan routes and thus increase trade. What is known is that the town had good connections with the Mediterranean.

Inspired by tales of royal towns and palaces in Arabia, the Emperor Augustus instructed the proconsul of Egypt, Aelius Gallus, to invade the peninsula and seize the wealth of the citadels of which he had heard so much. In 24 BC a force of 10.000 Romans and 15.000 mercenaries was assembled and sent to the region with Nabatean guides. It captured and garrisoned Baraqish but failed to take Marib. The force never got back to the Mediterranean and the Romans never tried a land invasion again.

An Italian archaeological team has recently excavated a temple which still had its roof and contained stone tables equipped with bull`s heads at the end. These may have been for sacrifices, the temple is thought to be to a good of healing.

The Yemeni AlJawf Governorate is located north east of Sana’a, bordering on Sa'ada governorate, the Empty Quarter, Marib, and Amran governorate. Volcanic mountains, green valleys, desert, semi desert areas. A kaleidoscope of peaks, ridges, plateaus, streams, home to rare flora and fauna, AlJawf has a mystical quality matched by few places.

Picturing the ancient town of Barakesh, AlJawf governorate, Yemen

Yemen Tourism Web Site
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