Rayʽan
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Rayʽan
ريعان | |
|---|---|
Village | |
  Rayʽan Location in Yemen | |
| Coordinates: 15°21′58″N 44°05′08″E / 15.36616°N 44.08551°ECoordinates: 15°21′58″N 44°05′08″E / 15.36616°N 44.08551°E[1] | |
| Country |  Yemen |
| Governorate | Sanaa |
| District | Hamdan |
| Elevation | 8,343 ft (2,543 m) |
| Time zone | UTC+3 (Yemen Standard Time) |
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]
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]