Barran Temple
عرش بلقيس | |
 The temple before excavation | |
| Location | Ma'rib Governorate, Yemen |
|---|---|
| Coordinates | 15°24′12″N 45°20′35″E / 15.403227°N 45.343112°E |
| History | |
| Periods | Ancient Yemen |
| Satellite of | Almaqah |
| Site notes | |
| Excavation dates | 1951-2, 1988 |
| Archaeologists | Wendell Phillips |
Temple of Barran (Arabic: معبد بران) is a Sabaean temple near Ma'rib, Yemen; also known as "Throne of Bilqis", it was dedicated to the god al-Maqah.
Background
The temple is located to the west of Awwam temple, also dedicated to the god Almaqah.[1] The main features of the structure are the six columns and the sacred well in the middle of the courtyard.[2] Previously only five columns were known to exist, until 1988 excavations, when remains of another pillar were discovered.[3] The temple is considered to be the largest pre-Islamic temple in Yemen.[3]
It was partly excavated by Wendell Phillips' expedition of 1951–1952.[4][5] In addition to its religious functions the complex may have also served as a documentation center, as the inscriptions describing the events surrounding the Sabaean state were found on the walls.[3]
References
- ^ "معبد برَّان.. هنا عاشت بلقيس سبأ". Culture and art. Al Jazeera. 24 March 2014.
- ^ "The Throne of Queen Bilquis". National Yemen. Ancient History Comes Alive. 11 September 2014.
- ^ a b c "Barran Temple". Madain Project. Retrieved 8 May 2019.
- ^ "Yemen Tourism". Archived from the original on 17 October 2018. Retrieved 16 October 2018.
- ^ "Arsh Bilqis" بـلـقـيـس [Throne of Queen Bilquis] (pdf). Yemen Tourism Promotion Board. Barran Temple (in Arabic and English). Republic of Yemen: Ministry of Tourism. 24 March 2010. Retrieved 16 October 2018.
