Saada
Saada (Arabic: صَعْدَة, romanized: Ṣaʿda), a city and ancient capital in the northwest of Yemen, is the capital and largest city of the governorate of the same name, and the seat of the district of the same name. The city is located in the mountains of Serat (Sarawat) at an altitude of about 1,800 meters. In 2004, it was the tenth largest city in Yemen and had an estimated population of 51,870.
Saada
صَعْدَة | |
|---|---|
City | |
Saada Location in Yemen | |
| Coordinates: 16°56′24″N 43°45′33″E | |
| Country | Yemen |
| Governorate | Saada |
| District | Saada |
| Government | |
| • Type | Houthis |
| Elevation | 1,836 m (6,024 ft) |
| Population (2004) | |
| • Total | 51,870 |
| Time zone | UTC+3 (Yemen Standard Time) |
| Climate | BWh |
The national map of Yemen includes Saada's area since the reign of the Ma'in Kingdom, the earliest country in the history of Yemen.
Sa'da is one of the earliest medieval cities in Yemen, the birthplace of the Shiite sect of Islam in Yemen and the base of the regime of the Zaydi Imam of Yemen. From the beginning of the 9th century to the 20th century, the Rassid dynasty, the longest reigning dynasty in Yemen history (the dynasty's direct line was replaced by the collateral dynasty Qassem dynasty since the end of the 16th century), made its fortune in Saada.
Saada is also the base camp of the Houthis and the birthplace of the Houthi movement. The Yemen Houthi rebellion that began in 2004 took the lead in Saada. Saada, which has been under the control of the Houthis since the end of the 2011 campaign, was the first city to break free from the central government in Yemen since the ongoing Yemen crisis.