Kawkaban

Kawkaban stands on a flat-topped mountain some three hundred metres above the town of Shibam Kawkaban, walled around its edge and reached historically by a stepped path cut into the cliff, which is still walked. The position made it a stronghold that held out repeatedly, and the town on top has stone houses, cisterns and a gate. The drop from the walls to the plain below is the thing people remember.

What you actually see

• The mesa position - a walled town on a flat top three hundred metres above the plain.
• The cliff stair - the stepped path cut into the rock from the town below.
• The walls and gate - the fortification around the edge of the top.
• The view - the plain and the villages laid out below the walls.

When to go

October to April is the cool season at this altitude. The stepped path is hard work in heat. Nights are cold in winter.

Honest expectations

The stepped path is steep and takes around an hour up. Walls at the edge are unfenced with sheer drops. Access to mainland Yemen requires arrangements made well in advance.

Nearby

Thula is north, and Sana'a is southeast.