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Sirwah

صرواح

Yemen

Capital of the Sabaean mukarribs in the centuries before 650 BCE in al-Raheeq al-Makhtum's reckoning; its ruins lie a day's journey west of Marib and are known as Kharibah; the Marib dam was begun in that age.

Depth

At a glance

Era
Pre-Islamic Arabia
Region
Arabia
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Overview

Sirwah was the capital of the Mukarribs of Saba in the centuries before 650 BCE, by the estimate of al-Rahiq al-Makhtum. Its ruins lie a day's journey to the west of Ma'rib, and are known as Khuraybah. 1 2.

The dam

In the time of the Mukarribs, construction began on the dam known as the Dam of Ma'rib, which has a great place in the history of Yemen. 1 3 Then the kings of Saba gave up the title "Mukarrib" and took Ma'rib as their capital instead of Sirwah. 3

For young visitors

Sirwah was the first capital of the kingdom of Saba in Yemen, before Ma'rib, and old ruins of it remain.

Connections

Explore the connections

Located in
Yemen

People and things also explored

Christianity in Arabia before Islam· Judaism in Arabia before Islam· The Second Abyssinian Occupation of Yemen· Ali ibn Abi Talib's expeditions to Yemen (twice)· The First Abyssinian Occupation of Yemen· The sending of Mu'adh ibn Jabal to Yemen and the Prophet's charge to him· Liberation and Persian Rule of Yemen· The Prophet's Appointments in Yemen

Sources

  1. al-Raheeq al-Makhtum — Safi al-Rahman al-Mubarakpuri, p.23
  2. Tafhim al-Quran — Abu al-A'la al-Mawdudi, 4/195-198
  3. al-Raheeq al-Makhtum — Safi al-Rahman al-Mubarakpuri, p.24
Cite this page

islam.museum contributors. “Sirwah”. islam.museum, https://islam.museum/en/place/sirwah/. CC BY-SA 4.0. Accessed 2026-10-17.

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Place

Cities, sites and routes on a map that moves through time. Related

Christianity in Arabia before Islam

Christianity came to Arabia through the Abyssinian and Roman occupations in al-Raheeq al-Makhtum's account: Christian missions entered Yemen during the first Abyssinian occupation, Najran was converted by the ascetic Faymiyun, Abraha spread it vigorously and built the Yemeni Kaaba to divert the Arabs' pilgrimage, and the Ghassanids, Taghlib, Tayy and some kings of al-Hira adopted it from their proximity to the Romans.