Historic Town of Zabid


World Heritage Identification Number: 611

World Heritage since: 1993

Category: Cultural Heritage

Transboundary Heritage: No

Endangered Heritage: Yes

Country: 🇾🇪 Yemen

Continent: Asia

UNESCO World Region: Arab States

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The Historic Town of Zabid: A Cultural Gem on Yemen's Western Coastal Plain

The Historic Town of Zabid, situated on Yemen's western coastal plain, stands as a testament to the rich cultural heritage and historical significance of this ancient land. Inscribed as a UNESCO World Heritage Site in 1993, Zabid offers a unique blend of archaeological, architectural, and historical wonders that have captivated scholars and travelers alike for centuries.

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UNESCO Description of the World Heritage Site

Zabid's domestic and military architecture and its urban plan make it an outstanding archaeological and historical site. Besides being the capital of Yemen from the 13th to the 15th century, the city played an important role in the Arab and Muslim world for many centuries because of its Islamic university.

Encyclopedia Record: Zabid

Zabid is a town with an urban population of around 52,590 people, located on Yemen's western coastal plain. It is one of the oldest towns in Yemen, and has been a UNESCO World Heritage Site since 1993. However, in 2000, the site was placed on the List of World Heritage in Danger. The town was the capital of several ruling dynasties in Yemen over many centuries.

Read more on Wikipedia

Additional Site Details

Area: Not available

UNESCO Criteria: (ii) — Significant interchange of human values
(iv) — Outstanding example of a type of building or landscape
(vi) — Directly associated with events or living traditions

Coordinates: 14.1953333333 , 43.3155277778

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Image of Historic Town of Zabid

© Ahron de Leeuw from Amsterdam, Netherlands, CC BY 2.0 Resized from original.

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Nearby World Heritage Sites

Old City of Sana'a
161 km — Yemen
Landmarks of the Ancient Kingdom of Saba, Marib
257 km — Yemen
Lower Valley of the Awash
454 km — Ethiopia
Ḥimā Cultural Area
477 km — Saudi Arabia
Asmara: A Modernist African City
488 km — Eritrea

Country Information: Yemen

Flag of Yemen

Official Name: Republic of Yemen

Capital: Sana'a

Continent: Asia

Population (2024): 40,583,164

Population (2023): 39,390,799

Population (2022): 38,222,876

Land Area: 527,970 sq km

Currency: Yemeni rial (YER)

Country Data Sources

Last updated: January 18, 2026

Portions of the page Historic Town of Zabid are based on data from UNESCO — World Heritage List Dataset and on text from the Wikipedia article Zabid, licensed under CC BY-SA 4.0. Changes made. Additional original content by World Heritage Explorer (WHE), licensed under CC BY-SA 4.0. WHE is not affiliated with UNESCO or the World Heritage Committee. Legal Notice. Privacy Policy.

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