Ibb () is a city in

Yemen Yemen, officially the Republic of Yemen, is a country in West Asia. Located in South Arabia, southern Arabia, it borders Saudi Arabia to Saudi Arabia–Yemen border, the north, Oman to Oman–Yemen border, the northeast, the south-eastern part ...

, the capital of

Ibb Governorate Ibb ( ') is a governorate of Yemen. It is located in the inland south of the country with Ta'izz Governorate to the southwest, Ad Dali' Governorate to the southeast, Dhamar Governorate to the north, and short borders with Al Bayda' Governorate t ...

, located about northeast of

Mocha Mocha may refer to: Places * Mokha, a city in Yemen * Mocha Island, an island in Biobío Region, Chile * Mocha, Chile, a town in Chile * Mocha, Ecuador, a city in Ecuador * Mocha Canton, a government subdivision in Ecuador * Mocha, a segmen ...

and south of

Sana'a Sanaa, officially the Sanaa Municipality, is the ''de jure'' capital and largest city of Yemen. The city is the capital of the Sanaa Governorate, but is not part of the governorate, as it forms a separate administrative unit. At an elevation ...

. A market town and administrative centre developed during the

Ottoman Empire The Ottoman Empire (), also called the Turkish Empire, was an empire, imperial realm that controlled much of Southeast Europe, West Asia, and North Africa from the 14th to early 20th centuries; it also controlled parts of southeastern Centr ...

, it is one of the most important medium-sized cities in the country. It is situated on a mountain ridge, surrounded by fertile land. As of 2023, it has an estimated population of 771,500 residents. Other names for Ibb, is "The Land of Green"

History

Ibb has been occupied since ancient times, and due to its strategic importance, the

Ottomans Ottoman may refer to: * Osman I, historically known in English as "Ottoman I", founder of the Ottoman Empire * Osman II, historically known in English as "Ottoman II" * Ottoman Empire The Ottoman Empire (), also called the Turkish Empir ...

used it as an administrative center. It thrived as a market town and the Ottomans established the Wednesday market in Ibb. Ibb was governed by a semi-autonomous emir until 1944, when the emirate was abolished. At times in its history many people have migrated to Ibb from areas of Yemen experiencing drought, to find work in farming. In the mid-1950s there was reportedly an outbreak of

smallpox Smallpox was an infectious disease caused by Variola virus (often called Smallpox virus), which belongs to the genus '' Orthopoxvirus''. The last naturally occurring case was diagnosed in October 1977, and the World Health Organization (W ...

in the city. German explorer

Hermann Burchardt Hermann Burchardt (November 18, 1857 – December 19, 1909) was a German explorer and photographer of Jewish descent, who is renowned for his black and white pictorial essays of scenes in Arabia in the early 20th century. Life and career Burchard ...

photographed the city in 1901; these photos are now held at the

Ethnological Museum of Berlin The Ethnologisches Museum Berlin () is one of the Staatliche Museen zu Berlin Stiftung Preußischer Kulturbesitz Berlin (), the de facto national collection of the Federal Republic of Germany. Its exhibitions are presently located in the Humbol ...

Climate

Ibb is located at an altitude of on a spur of Mount Shamāḥī. Due to its high altitude, Ibb has a dry-winter

humid subtropical climate A humid subtropical climate is a subtropical -temperate climate type, characterized by long and hot summers, and cool to mild winters. These climates normally lie on the southeast side of all continents (except Antarctica), generally between ...

(

Köppen climate classification The Köppen climate classification divides Earth climates into five main climate groups, with each group being divided based on patterns of seasonal precipitation and temperature. The five main groups are ''A'' (tropical), ''B'' (arid), ''C'' (te ...

: ''Cwa''), and is one of the wettest areas of Yemen, typically receiving around 500 mm of rain per annum.

Notable landmarks

The city is noted for its towering stone houses, with geometrical friezes and circular stained glass windows known as '' qamiriya''. The main mosque was built during the Ottoman period, and there are other mosques and also a fortress in the vicinity, closed to visitors. An ancient overhead aqueduct still remains.

Ibb University Ibb University () was established in Ibb, Yemen as an official university in 1996. It was founded by Nasser al-Awlaki. The university consists of 11 faculties: * Faculty of Medicine and Health Science * Faculty of Dentistry * Faculty of Engin ...

was established in 1996. The main

football Football is a family of team sports that involve, to varying degrees, kick (football), kicking a football (ball), ball to score a goal (sports), goal. Unqualified, football (word), the word ''football'' generally means the form of football t ...

team is

Al Sha'ab Ibb Shaab Ibb Sports and Cultural Club () is a Yemeni professional football club based in Ibb. The club was established in 1964. Achievements * Yemeni League: 3 ::2003, 2004, 2012. * Yemeni President Cup: 2 ::2002, 2003. * Yemeni September 26 C ...

Notable people

Owais al-Qarani Awais () or Owais is an Arabic given name. Meaning Awais means 'gifted' or 'bestowed' and was the name of one of Prophet Muhammad's companions Uways al-Qarani. Notable people Notable people with the name include: ; Given name * Awais Ali (born ...

, Muslim saint *

Abdul Rahman al-Iryani Abdul Rahman Yahya al-Eryani (; 10 June 1910 – 14 March 1998) was a Yemeni politician who served as the second President of the Yemen Arab Republic (North Yemen) from 5 November 1967 to 13 June 1974. Originally a leader of the Free Yemeni Move ...

, former President of Yemen *

Abdul Karim al-Iryani Abdul Karim Ali Al-Iryani (; ‎; 12 October 1934 – 8November 2015; also spelled Al-Eryani) was a Yemeni politician who served as the Prime Minister of Yemen from 29 April 1998 to 31March 2001. Al-Iryani, along with President Ali Abdullah Sal ...

, former Prime Minister of Yemen * Abdul Aziz Al-Maqaleh, poet and writer *

Abdul Majeed al-Zindani Abdul Majeed al-Zindani (; January 1, 1942 – April 22, 2024) was a Yemeni Islamist politician and founder and head of the Iman University in Yemen. He was also the head of Al-Islah political movement and founder of the Commission on Scienti ...

, founder and head of

Iman University Iman University (also al-Iman University, el-Eman University, or al-Eman University; ; ''Jāmiʿat al-Īmān'') is a Sunni religious school founded in 1993 in Sanaa, Yemen.Aghrab Beni Awad Aghrab Beni Awad is a village in the county of Bada'an, Province of Ibb, in the Republic of Yemen. Aghrab is famous for its agriculture Agriculture encompasses crop and livestock production, aquaculture, and forestry for food and non-f ...

* Jibla *

As-Sahul Valley Al-Saḥūl () is both a town and a wadi located between the city of Ibb and al-Makhadir District in Ibb Governorate, Yemen. It was known as Mikhlaf as-Saḥūl, "mikhlaf" being the name of administrative divisions in ancient Yemen. Al-Sahul was c ...

References

External links

{{Authority control Populated places in Ibb Governorate Ibb District Cities in Yemen