Dar al-Hajar, Royal palace in Wadi Dhar, Yemen
Dar al-Hajar is a five-story palace in Wadi Dhar, Yemen, built upon a natural rock formation and featuring traditional Yemeni architecture with whitewashed walls and brown decorative patterns. The structure integrates the rocky landscape as its foundation, with rooms arranged to follow the natural contours.
The palace was built in the 1930s for Imam Yahya Muhammad Hamid ed-Din and incorporates elements from an earlier structure dating to 1786, constructed for scholar al-Imam Mansour. This layering of different periods shows how rulers built upon the same location across generations.
The palace layout follows traditional Yemeni customs, with distinct spaces for cooling water, hosting guests, and receiving visitors in the Mafraj reception room. This separation reveals how the royal family organized private and public life within the structure.
The palace sits northwest of Sanaa, accessible via route 313, staying on the main path when the road branches toward Thula. Visitors should arrive early to enjoy the best light and views while exploring the site.
The building spreads across seven distinct levels that follow the natural rock formation, creating a complex spatial arrangement. A centuries-old talouqa tree stands at the entrance, casting shade over the palace for generations.
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