Bir Ali

Bir Ali sits on Yemen's southern coast where a volcanic cone meets the sea, black rock against white sand, and just along from it is Husn al-Ghurab, the headland that was Qana, the port through which frankincense from the Hadhramaut was shipped out, trading as far as India and the coast of Persia. Ruins and inscriptions survive on the headland above the old anchorage, and excavators found the remains of a building thought to be a synagogue, dating to at least the 3rd century CE.

The landscape

• The volcanic cone - the dark hill meeting the sea at the village.
• The black and white shore - volcanic rock meeting pale sand.
• The Qana site - the ancient frankincense port on the headland.
• The inscriptions - the carved records on the rock above the anchorage.

When to go

October to March is the cool season. Summer on the southern coast is extremely hot and humid. The southwest monsoon affects the sea from June.

Before you go

The archaeological site is unexcavated in most of its extent and uninterpreted. There are no facilities at the village. Access to mainland Yemen requires arrangements made well in advance.

Nearby

Mukalla is east, and Aden is west.

Key facts