Shaharah Bridge and Village

A Village Of Stone Houses On Mountain Tops Joined By A Famous 20 M Stone And Rock Bridge Built In The 17th Century, With Sweeping Views Over Terraces. A High Altitude Walking Destination With No Real Visitor Infrastructure. In The Houthi Homeland, With A History Of Heavy Fighting · Shaharah, Amran

Shaharah is a mountain village of stone houses on the cliff tops about 150 km north-west of Sana'a, in the Amran region, high above terraced fields. It is best known for a stone bridge built in the 17th century, about 20 m long, that joins two peaks over a deep gap. The bridge was built for a village that often sat out sieges, and the houses sit on rock so steep that stone steps and narrow tracks are the only way in. Terraces of coffee, grain and qat cover the slopes below, built up over many generations. There are no visitor facilities: no marked paths, hotels or shops aimed at tourists, only homes and the help of local families. The area lies in the Houthi homeland and has seen heavy fighting, with air raids and ground battles in the war since 2014-15. Most governments advise against all travel to Yemen, and access here is unknown and changing, so read your own government's advice before any planning.

Shaharah, a mountain village on the cliff top about 150 km north-west of Sana'a in the Amran region, reached by a steep track, Shaharah, Amran, Yemen

There are no opening hours, because the village and bridge are public ground and a living settlement. Looking at the bridge, the terraces and the lanes is FREE and possible in daylight, though paths are steep and not lit. Houses and any small mosque or shop are CLOSED unless a family invites you, and shops close at prayer times and often on Friday. Guides, drivers and a hosted meal are paid for. Whether visitors are allowed at all today depends on the authorities and on fighting, which is unknown here, so confirm with your government first.

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