Throne of Bilqis: Symbol of Power of Yemen's Ancient Kingdom of Saba

The Throne of Bilqis. (Asharq Al-Awsat)
The Throne of Bilqis. (Asharq Al-Awsat)
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Throne of Bilqis: Symbol of Power of Yemen's Ancient Kingdom of Saba

The Throne of Bilqis. (Asharq Al-Awsat)
The Throne of Bilqis. (Asharq Al-Awsat)

The Temple of Awwam, known as the Throne of Bilqis, is one of the most famous landmarks of the ancient Kingdom of Saba in Yemen.

The landmark was a symbol of power of the Sabaen religious authority, and a pilgrimage site for peoples and tribes that presented offerings in supplication.

Asharq Al-Awsat toured the temple, which is viewed as the most important in ancient Yemeni history.

The site lies neglected due to the current conflict and the successive wars that have plagued the country over the decades.

Dr. Abdullah al-Tam, of the archeology department at the University of Saba Region in Marib, told Asharq Al-Awsat that the Temple of Awwam was one of the most famous pilgrimage site for ancient Yemenis and non-Yemenis.

The pilgrimage had its own rituals and it was performed during specific times of the year. People could perform a mass pilgrimage or an individual one and each was held during different times of the year, he revealed.

The temple is located in an isolated region so that it could be solely be visited for religious purposes.

The temple may have first been built as a grave before being developed in a massive complex that brings together buildings related to the temple, such as the houses of the clergy, astrology rooms and a cemetery.

Geomorphic studies have revealed that the temple was built on elevated ground, giving it a grander appearance to visitors.

As soon as we arrived at the temple, we encountered a boy of no older than ten years of age manning the gate.

When we asked that he grant us passage, he demanded payment of no more than a dollar, which he said is unofficial payment for guarding the site.

After being allowed in, we approached the temple's eight columns. Despite the beauty of the landmark, we could not ignore the signs of neglect in the area. Ruins were strewn haphazardly and the columns have been marred by graffiti and writings left behind by visitors.

Dr. al-Tam said the temple was constructed so that it would face the rising sun.

It is composed of eight columns that give way to a large rectangular hall and a large wall that leads to outer temples and the cemetery.

Statues of bronze bulls, horses, and humans used to be attached to the entrance gates of the temple. It was decorated with geometrical and figural paintings, sculptures, finely carved inscriptions painted red, and beautiful ornamental friezes on the wall's exterior were meant to impress visitors and fill them with awe in the presence of gods.

An alabaster canal used to pass through the main hall pouring water in a bronze basin that was used for purification.

The temple used to be enclosed by a 757 meter-long wall with a height of 13 meters. Little can be now seen of the wall due to the years of neglect.

The cemetery dates back to the 7th century BC and held around 20,000 graves.

The graves themselves could be built to up to four levels. They were build with limestone and the outer walls would be decorated with friezes, with the face of the deceased sometimes engraved into the stone.



Report: Israel Hit Syrian Bases Scoped by Türkiye, Hinting at Regional Showdown

 Debris is scattered at the site of an Israeli strike on a military airbase near Hama, Syria, Thursday, April 3, 2025. (AP)
Debris is scattered at the site of an Israeli strike on a military airbase near Hama, Syria, Thursday, April 3, 2025. (AP)
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Report: Israel Hit Syrian Bases Scoped by Türkiye, Hinting at Regional Showdown

 Debris is scattered at the site of an Israeli strike on a military airbase near Hama, Syria, Thursday, April 3, 2025. (AP)
Debris is scattered at the site of an Israeli strike on a military airbase near Hama, Syria, Thursday, April 3, 2025. (AP)

Türkiye scoped out at least three air bases in Syria where it could deploy forces as part of a planned joint defense pact before Israel hit the sites with air strikes this week, four people familiar with the matter told Reuters.

The bombardment signals the risks of a deepening rift between two powerful regional militaries over Syria, where opposition factions have installed a new government after toppling former leader Bashar al-Assad in December.

The Israeli strikes on the three sites Türkiye was assessing, including a heavy barrage on Wednesday night, came despite Ankara's efforts to reassure Washington that a deeper military presence in Syria was not intended to threaten Israel.

The factions replacing Assad have alarmed Israel, which is wary of their presence on its border and has lobbied the United States to curb Türkiye’s growing influence in the country.

Ankara, a longtime backer of opposition to Assad, is positioning to play a major role in the remade Syria, including with a possible joint defense pact that could see new Turkish bases in central Syria and use of Syria's airspace.

In preparation, Turkish military teams in recent weeks visited the T4 and Palmyra air bases in Syria's Homs province and the main airport in Hama province, according to a regional intelligence official, two Syrian military sources and another Syrian source familiar with the matter.

The sources spoke on condition of anonymity to discuss the visits, which have not been previously reported.

Turkish teams evaluated the state of the runways, hangars and other infrastructure at the bases, the regional intelligence official said.

Another planned visit to T4 and Palmyra on March 25 was cancelled after Israel struck both bases just hours beforehand, according to the regional intelligence official and the two Syrian military sources.

Strikes at T4 "destroyed the runway, tower, hangars and the planes that were grounded. It was a tough message that Israel won't accept the expanded Turkish presence," said the intelligence official, who reviewed photographs of the damage.

"T4 is totally unusable now," said a fourth Syrian source, who is close to Türkiye.

When asked about the visits, a Turkish defense ministry official said: "Reports and posts regarding developments in Syria - whether real or alleged - that do not originate from official authorities should not be taken into consideration, as they lack credibility and may be misleading."

A spokesperson for Syria's defense ministry declined to comment.

Türkiye’s foreign ministry on Thursday called Israel "the greatest threat to regional security". On Friday, Foreign Minister Hakan Fidan told Reuters Türkiye wanted no confrontation with Israel in Syria.

HEAVY STRIKES

In the four months since Assad was toppled, Israel has seized ground in southwest Syria, made overtures to the Druze minority, and struck much of the Syrian military's heavy weapons and equipment. Wednesday's strikes were some of the most intense yet.

Syria's foreign ministry said Israel struck five separate areas within a 30-minute window, resulting in the near-total destruction of the Hama base and wounding dozens of civilians and soldiers.

Israel said it hit the T4 air base and other military capabilities at air bases in Hama and Homs provinces, as well as military infrastructure in the Damascus area.

Israeli Defense Minister Israel Katz called the air strikes a warning that "we will not allow the security of the State of Israel to be harmed". Foreign Minister Gideon Saar accused Ankara of seeking a "Turkish protectorate" in Syria.

Noa Lazimi, a specialist in Middle East politics at Bar-Ilan University, said Israel was concerned that Türkiye could establish Russian anti-aircraft systems and drones at T4.

"The base would enable Türkiye to establish air superiority in this area, and this poses a serious concern for Israel because it undermines its operational freedom in the region," she said.

'IDEOLOGICAL COLLISION COURSE'

Türkiye has tried to reassure the US that it wants to work towards a stable Syria.

Foreign Minister Fidan told US officials in Washington last month that Syrian interim President Ahmed al-Sharaa would not pose a threat to neighbors, according to a senior regional diplomat close to Türkiye and a source in Washington briefed on the meetings.

Fidan and other Turkish officials had earlier told Sharaa that Ankara was carefully calibrating its moves towards a defense pact so as not to irk Washington, one of the Syrian military sources said.

" Türkiye, not Israel, would pay the highest price among regional states were there to be failure or destabilization in Syria, including with refugees and security," an official in Türkiye’s ruling AK Party told Reuters.

Soner Cagaptay, director of the Turkish Research Program at the Washington Institute think tank, said Türkiye and Israel were on an "ideological collision course" but could avoid military escalation through mediation with Washington.