Rayʽan (Arabic: ريعان Rayʽān) is a village in Hamdan District of Sanaa Governorate, Yemen.[1][2] It is located a short distance from the head of the Wadi Dahr near Bayt Naʽam, so that all the water coming down to the wadi from Jabal an-Nabi Shu'ayb passes through a steep, narrow valley just north of Rayʽan.[1]

Rayʽan ريعان
Village
Rayʽan Location in Yemen
Coordinates: 15.36616°N 44.08551°E / 15.36616; 44.08551[1]
Country	Yemen
Governorate	Sanaa
District	Hamdan
Elevation [1]	8,343 ft (2,543 m)
Time zone	UTC+3 (Yemen Standard Time)

History

There was once a dam in the valley north of Rayʽan, until it was destroyed by an earthquake in 245 AH (859 CE).[2] The dam's exact purpose is unclear, but Robert T.O. Wilson suggested that it "may have helped to control floodwaters which would otherwise pass unchecked into Wadi Dahr."[2] Such a flood happened in 1974.[2] From the Rasulid period onward, Rayʽan was frequently used as a military encampment.[2]

References