'Amran has a long history, dating to the pre-Islamic era.[2] During that period, it was one of the main centers of the Bakil tribal confederation.[2] At the time of the Sabaean kingdom, the town blossomed into a fortress.Шаблон:Citation needed A series of bronze plaques from that time were found in the town in the mid-nineteenth century and are now in the British Museum.Шаблон:Citation needed In the seventh century, the town witnessed clashes against the Sabeans.Шаблон:Citation needed Remains of carved stones that belonged to former temples and palaces bear witness to past glory.Шаблон:Citation needed A large stone inscription is found on the western city gate (Bab al-Kabir).Шаблон:Citation needed
'Amran is largely absent from medieval sources, and the nearby fortified town of al-Jannat eclipsed it in importance during this period.[2] This may have been partly because 'Amran, located in the middle of the al-Bawn plain, was less defensible, whereas al-Jannat had a more strategic location.[2] The 10th-century writer al-Hamdani described the ancient palace at 'Amran, but he gives no details about its population or any indication that it was still occupied.[2]
From the late 14th century onward, 'Amran appears to have emerged as a strategic site, and it appears frequently in historical texts such as the Ghayat al-Amani of Yahya ibn al-Husayn during this period.[2] Then, in the 1500s and 1600s, 'Amran is mentioned as a more generally important city.[2]
ʿAmran is completely surrounded by walls which date to 1720.Шаблон:Citation needed The surrounding landscape is dominated by terraced landscapes with stone walls to counteract erosion of fertile arable land.Шаблон:Citation needed The old souq is noted for its stone columns.[4]
Economic development
The road through the city from Sana'a was modernized following Chinese investment, and is over Шаблон:Convert long. The old medical centre has been transformed into a small public hospital.[5] The city is located in a fertile area in what was the centre of the area's coffee industry.[6]
