ʿAmrān

ʿAmrān (; ) is a small city in western central Yemen. It is the capital of 'Amran Governorate, and was formerly part of Sana'a Governorate. It is located by road northwest of the Yemeni capital of Sana'a, at the upper (southern) end of the al-Bawn plain. According to the 2004 census it had a population of 76,863, and an estimated population of 92,763 in 2013.

==History and architecture== thumb|left|upright|Traditional mud-built house. 'Amran has a long history, dating to the pre-Islamic era. During that period, it was one of the main centers of the Bakil tribal confederation. At the time of the Sabaean kingdom, the town blossomed into a fortress. 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. In the seventh century, the town witnessed clashes against the Sabeans. Remains of carved stones that belonged to former temples and palaces bear witness to past glory. A large stone inscription is found on the western city gate (Bab al-Kabir).