Barran Temple


Temple of Barran is a Sabaean temple near Ma'rib, Yemen; also known as "Throne of Bilqis", it was dedicated to the god al-Maqah.

Background

The temple is located to the west of Awwam temple, also dedicated to the god Almaqah. The main features of the structure are the six columns and the sacred well in the middle of the courtyard. Previously only five columns were known to exist, until 1988 excavations, when remains of another pillar were discovered. The temple is considered to be the largest pre-Islamic temple in Yemen.
It was partly excavated by Wendell Phillips' expedition of 1951–1952. In addition to its religious functions the complex may have also served as a documentation center, as the inscriptions describing the events surrounding the Sabaean state were found on the walls.