Thula

{{Short description|Town in 'Amran Governorate, Yemen}}

{{about|the town||Thula (disambiguation)}}

{{redirect|Thila|the crater|Thila (crater)}}

{{Infobox ancient site

|name = Thula

|native_name = {{lang|ar|ثُلَاء}}

|alternate_name = Thila

|image = Thula city.JPG

|alt =

|caption = Thula city

|map_type = Yemen

|map_alt =

|map_size = 250

|location = Yemen

|region = 'Amran Governorate

|coordinates = {{coord|15|34|25|N|43|54|05|E|region:YE-AM_type:city(6731)|display=inline,title}}

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Thula ({{langx|ar|ثُلَاء|Thulāʾ}}) or Thila ({{langx|ar|ثِلَاء|Thilāʾ}}) is a town in west-central Yemen. It is located in the 'Amran Governorate.

Thula is one of five towns in Yemen on the UNESCO World Heritage Tentative List.{{Cite web|title=The Historic City of Thula |date=8 July 2002|language=French|publisher=UNESCO World Heritage Centre |url=https://whc.unesco.org/en/tentativelists/1719/ |archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20130910142020/https://whc.unesco.org/en/tentativelists/1719/|archivedate=10 September 2013|url-status=live}} Dating to the Himyarite period (between 110 BCE and the 6th century CE), the town is very well preserved and includes traditional houses and mosques. Archaeological investigation discovered Sabaean period ruins with massive stone architecture beneath the Himyarite.{{Cite web|title=Thula Fort Restoration|publisher=Aga Khan Award for Architecture|url=http://www.akdn.org/architecture/project.asp?id=4256|archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20131114052416/http://www.akdn.org/architecture/project.asp?id=4256|archivedate=14 November 2013|url-status=live}}{{Cite web|title=Abdullah al Hadrami: Thula Fort Restoration in Yemen|publisher=design boom|url=http://www.designboom.com/architecture/abdullah-al-hadrami-thula-fort-restoration-in-yemen/|archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20130508192238/http://www.designboom.com/architecture/abdullah-al-hadrami-thula-fort-restoration-in-yemen/|archivedate=8 May 2013|url-status=live}} Restoration between 2004 and 2011, restored the Bab al Mayah gate, several

watch towers, paths, the traditional cistern, and other portions of the Sabaean fort.