History of Tarim

Hadhramaut's early economic importance stemmed from its part in the incense trade. Authorities exploited their position on the overland route from Dhufar through Mahra, Hadhramaut and Shabwa to the Hejaz and Eastern Mediterranean to tax caravans in return for protection. Shabwa was Hadhramaut’s capital for most of the Himyaritic period. The kingdom of Saba had its capital at Marib. The Queen of Sheba (Bilqis) could have come from either Saba, or been the Queen of the Tamim (who currently reside east of Tarim). The Himyaritic civilization flourished from c. 800 BC to 400 CE, when the incense trade was diverted to the newly opened sea route via Aden and the Red Sea.

Early in the 6th century Ethiopians invaded Yemen, encouraged by Romans to protect Yemeni Christians from the ruler Najran, a convert to Judaism. The Yemenis opposed Ethiopian rule and sought the Sassanid Persians for assistance. The result was that the Persians took over about 570 CE. The Persians appear to have been in Hadhramaut, but the only clear evidence of their presence is at Husn al Urr, a fort between Tarim and Qabr Hud.

Early Islamic period

In 625, Badhan, the Persian Governor of Sana’a accepted Islam and the rest of the country soon followed. Arab historians agree that Tarim was established in the fourth century of Hijra. The citizens of Tarim converted to Islam in the early days of Islam when the delegation of Hadhramaut met the Prophet Muhammad in Medina in the tenth year of Hijra (631). Tarim is often referred to as Al-Siddiqi City, in honor of Abu-Bakr al-Siddiq, the first caliph of Sunni Islam (r. 632–34). Abu Bakr prayed that Allah would increase Tarim’s scholars and water, as its citizens stood with him during the Ridda wars after the Prophet’s death (632-633). A battle occurred in the Al-Nujir fortress in which many of the Prophet’s