Ta'izz
Encyclopedia
Ta'izz or Taiz, is a city in the Yemen
Yemen
The Republic of Yemen , commonly known as Yemen , is a country located in the Middle East, occupying the southwestern to southern end of the Arabian Peninsula. It is bordered by Saudi Arabia to the north, the Red Sea to the west, and Oman to the east....

i Highlands
Highland (geography)
The term highland or upland is used to denote any mountainous region or elevated mountainous plateau. Generally speaking, the term upland tends to be used for ranges of hills, typically up to 500-600m, and highland for ranges of low mountains.The Scottish Highlands refers to the mountainous...

, near the famous Mocha
Mocha, Yemen
Mocha or Mokha is a port city on the Red Sea coast of Yemen. Until it was eclipsed in the 19th century by Aden and Hodeida, Mocha was the principal port for Yemen's capital Sana'a.-Overview:...

 port on the Red Sea
Red Sea
The Red Sea is a seawater inlet of the Indian Ocean, lying between Africa and Asia. The connection to the ocean is in the south through the Bab el Mandeb strait and the Gulf of Aden. In the north, there is the Sinai Peninsula, the Gulf of Aqaba, and the Gulf of Suez...

, lying at an elevation of about 1,400 metres above sea level. It is the capital of Ta'izz Governorate
Ta'izz Governorate
Ta'izz is a governorate of Yemen. The governorate's capital is Ta'izz, which is the third largest city in Yemen. Other major towns include Al Sawa, Juha and the famous coffee port of Mocha. It has a total population of just over three million and an area of 10,677km².For such a small area, Ta'izz...

. With a population of over 600,000 in 2005, it is the third largest city in Yemen after the capital Sana'a
Sana'a
-Districts:*Al Wahdah District*As Sabain District*Assafi'yah District*At Tahrir District*Ath'thaorah District*Az'zal District*Bani Al Harith District*Ma'ain District*Old City District*Shu'aub District-Old City:...

 and the southern port of Aden
Aden
Aden is a seaport city in Yemen, located by the eastern approach to the Red Sea , some 170 kilometres east of Bab-el-Mandeb. Its population is approximately 800,000. Aden's ancient, natural harbour lies in the crater of an extinct volcano which now forms a peninsula, joined to the mainland by a...

.

Ta'izz has a dramatic setting where the roads run up and down the mountain sides. Above the city rises the 3,006 metres high Sabir Mountain. The city is famous for the ancient Jewish Sharab
Jewish Sharab
Jewish Sharab is an ancient Jewish quarter in the city of Ta'izz, Ta'izz Governorate, Yemen established around 130 CE and dismantled around 1940, and was one of the most illustrious places of Jewish settlement in Yemen. Many distinguished Jewish personalities were born there, including R. Shalom...

.

Overview

The name of the city appeared first at the 6th century of Hijra
Hijri year
The Hijri year is year numbering system used in the Islamic calendar. It commemorates the Hijra , or emigration of Muhammad and his followers to the city of Medina in 622 CE. In Arabic, AH is symbolized by the letter هـ...

, 12th CE, when Turan Shah, the brother of Salah ad-Din
Saladin
Ṣalāḥ ad-Dīn Yūsuf ibn Ayyūb , better known in the Western world as Saladin, was an Arabized Kurdish Muslim, who became the first Sultan of Egypt and Syria, and founded the Ayyubid dynasty. He led Muslim and Arab opposition to the Franks and other European Crusaders in the Levant...

, arrived in Yemen in the year 1173 CE. Ta'izz was refortified by Salah ad-Din’s brother, Taktakeen, the Ayyubid.

The second Rasulid
Rasulid
The Rasulid was a Muslim dynasty that ruled Yemen and Hadhramaut from 1229 to 1454. The Rasulids assumed power after the Egyptian Ayyubid left the southern provinces of the Arabian Peninsula....

 King, Almaddhafar (1288 CE), established Ta'izz as the second capital of the Rasulid Dynasty after Zabid.
Ibn Battutah visited Taiz in the fourteenth century and described it as one of the largest and most beautiful cities of Yemen.

Ta'izz remained a walled city until 1948 when Imam Ahmed made it the second capital of Yemen, allowing for expansion beyond its fortified wall.

During the 2011 Yemeni uprising
2011 Yemeni uprising
The 2011 Yemen Uprising followed the initial stages of the Tunisian Revolution and occurred simultaneously with the Egyptian Revolution and other mass protests in the Middle East in early 2011. In its early phase, protests in Yemen were initially against unemployment, economic conditions and...

 fighting in Ta'izz resulted in anti-government forces seizing control of the city.

Chronology

1175: Ta'izz is made capital of Yemen as it was incorporated into dominions of the Ayyubid dynasty
Ayyubid dynasty
The Ayyubid dynasty was a Muslim dynasty of Kurdish origin, founded by Saladin and centered in Egypt. The dynasty ruled much of the Middle East during the 12th and 13th centuries CE. The Ayyubid family, under the brothers Ayyub and Shirkuh, originally served as soldiers for the Zengids until they...

 by Turan-Shah
Turan-Shah
Turan-Shah ibn Ayyub al-Malik al-Mu'azzam Shams ad-Dawla Fakhr ad-Din known simply as Turan-Shah was the Ayyubid governor of Yemen , then Damascus . He is noted for strengthening the position of his younger brother, Saladin, in Egypt and playing the leading role in the Ayyubid conquests of both...

.

1500 (approximately): The capital is moved to Sana'a
Sana'a
-Districts:*Al Wahdah District*As Sabain District*Assafi'yah District*At Tahrir District*Ath'thaorah District*Az'zal District*Bani Al Harith District*Ma'ain District*Old City District*Shu'aub District-Old City:...

 by the ruler of the Taharid dynasty.

1516: Ta'izz comes under Ottoman
Ottoman Empire
The Ottoman EmpireIt was usually referred to as the "Ottoman Empire", the "Turkish Empire", the "Ottoman Caliphate" or more commonly "Turkey" by its contemporaries...

 control.

1918: The Ottomans lose Ta'iz to the new independent Yemen.

1948: Ta'izz becomes the administrative capital of Yemen, as it is made the residence of the imam
Imam
An imam is an Islamic leadership position, often the worship leader of a mosque and the Muslim community. Similar to spiritual leaders, the imam is the one who leads Islamic worship services. More often, the community turns to the mosque imam if they have a religious question...

.

1962: State administrations move back to Sana'a.

1960s: The first purified water system of Yemen is opened in Ta'izz

Climate

The weather in Taizz is fair and beautiful most of the time. The average daily temperature high during August is 30°C. Annual rainfall of Ta'izz may reach 760 mm to over 1,000 on Jabal Sabir per year.

Main sights

The city has many old and beautiful quarters, with houses that are typically built with brown bricks, and mosque
Mosque
A mosque is a place of worship for followers of Islam. The word is likely to have entered the English language through French , from Portuguese , from Spanish , and from Berber , ultimately originating in — . The Arabic word masjid literally means a place of prostration...

s are usually white. Most famous among the mosques are the Ashrafiya, the Muctabiya and the Mudhaffar. Also memorable are the old citadel and the governor's palace that rests on top of a mountain spur 450 metres above the city centre.
It also has one of the most famous mountains in Yemen, the Saber mountain (almost 3000m above sea level), which affords panoramic views over the city.
The city has a Muslim madrasa that has university
University
A university is an institution of higher education and research, which grants academic degrees in a variety of subjects. A university is an organisation that provides both undergraduate education and postgraduate education...

 status.

Economy

Since Ta'izz receives a lot of rain, its economy is mainly based on agriculture. The economic base of Ta'izz is coffee
Coffee
Coffee is a brewed beverage with a dark,init brooo acidic flavor prepared from the roasted seeds of the coffee plant, colloquially called coffee beans. The beans are found in coffee cherries, which grow on trees cultivated in over 70 countries, primarily in equatorial Latin America, Southeast Asia,...

, grown in the surrounding landscape together with the mild narcotic qat
Khat
Khat, qat, gat or Waquish Spoken from true Yemeni, is a flowering plant native to tropical East Africa and the Arabian Peninsula....

 and other vegetables. Among the city's own industries are cotton
Cotton
Cotton is a soft, fluffy staple fiber that grows in a boll, or protective capsule, around the seeds of cotton plants of the genus Gossypium. The fiber is almost pure cellulose. The botanical purpose of cotton fiber is to aid in seed dispersal....

-weaving, tanning and production of jewellery. Ta'izz cheese is also renowned throughout Yemen.

Ta'izz today is the largest industrial base in Yemen.

Transport

Ta'izz has many road connections with the rest of the country. The city is served by Ta'izz International Airport
Ta'izz International Airport
Ta'izz International Airport is a public airport located in Ta'izz, the capital of the Ta'izz Governorate, Yemen.-Airlines and destinations:-Accidents and incidents:...

.

Sport

The city counts 3 football clubs participating to the Yemeni League
Yemeni League
Yemeni League is the top division of the Yemen Football Association, it was created in 1990 after the unification of North and South Yemen. It was decided to set up a 4-level league system: Premier, First, Second and Third divisions....

: The most important is Al-Saqr
Al-Saqr
Al Saqr is an Yemeni football club based in Ta'izz, Yemen. The club was founded in 1969.-Performance in AFC competitions:*AFC Cup: 2 appearancesبطل الدوري اليمني 2006 , 2010بطل كأس الوحدة اليمنية 2008 , 2010بطل كأس السوبر اليمني 2010...

, winner of 2 championships, the other are Al-Ahli
Al-Ahli (Taizz)
Al-Ahli Ta'izz, is a football club from Ta'izz, Yemen.- Current Squad :...

 and Al Rasheed
Al Rasheed Ta'izz
Al Rasheed Ta'izz is a football club playing in Yemen....

.
Ta'izz , or Taiz, is a city in the Yemen
Yemen
The Republic of Yemen , commonly known as Yemen , is a country located in the Middle East, occupying the southwestern to southern end of the Arabian Peninsula. It is bordered by Saudi Arabia to the north, the Red Sea to the west, and Oman to the east....

i Highlands
Highland (geography)
The term highland or upland is used to denote any mountainous region or elevated mountainous plateau. Generally speaking, the term upland tends to be used for ranges of hills, typically up to 500-600m, and highland for ranges of low mountains.The Scottish Highlands refers to the mountainous...

, near the famous Mocha
Mocha, Yemen
Mocha or Mokha is a port city on the Red Sea coast of Yemen. Until it was eclipsed in the 19th century by Aden and Hodeida, Mocha was the principal port for Yemen's capital Sana'a.-Overview:...

 port on the Red Sea
Red Sea
The Red Sea is a seawater inlet of the Indian Ocean, lying between Africa and Asia. The connection to the ocean is in the south through the Bab el Mandeb strait and the Gulf of Aden. In the north, there is the Sinai Peninsula, the Gulf of Aqaba, and the Gulf of Suez...

, lying at an elevation of about 1,400 metres above sea level. It is the capital of Ta'izz Governorate
Ta'izz Governorate
Ta'izz is a governorate of Yemen. The governorate's capital is Ta'izz, which is the third largest city in Yemen. Other major towns include Al Sawa, Juha and the famous coffee port of Mocha. It has a total population of just over three million and an area of 10,677km².For such a small area, Ta'izz...

. With a population of over 600,000 in 2005, it is the third largest city in Yemen after the capital Sana'a
Sana'a
-Districts:*Al Wahdah District*As Sabain District*Assafi'yah District*At Tahrir District*Ath'thaorah District*Az'zal District*Bani Al Harith District*Ma'ain District*Old City District*Shu'aub District-Old City:...

 and the southern port of Aden
Aden
Aden is a seaport city in Yemen, located by the eastern approach to the Red Sea , some 170 kilometres east of Bab-el-Mandeb. Its population is approximately 800,000. Aden's ancient, natural harbour lies in the crater of an extinct volcano which now forms a peninsula, joined to the mainland by a...

.

Ta'izz has a dramatic setting where the roads run up and down the mountain sides. Above the city rises the 3,006 metres high Sabir Mountain. The city is famous for the ancient Jewish Sharab
Jewish Sharab
Jewish Sharab is an ancient Jewish quarter in the city of Ta'izz, Ta'izz Governorate, Yemen established around 130 CE and dismantled around 1940, and was one of the most illustrious places of Jewish settlement in Yemen. Many distinguished Jewish personalities were born there, including R. Shalom...

.

Overview

The name of the city appeared first at the 6th century of Hijra
Hijri year
The Hijri year is year numbering system used in the Islamic calendar. It commemorates the Hijra , or emigration of Muhammad and his followers to the city of Medina in 622 CE. In Arabic, AH is symbolized by the letter هـ...

, 12th CE, when Turan Shah, the brother of Salah ad-Din
Saladin
Ṣalāḥ ad-Dīn Yūsuf ibn Ayyūb , better known in the Western world as Saladin, was an Arabized Kurdish Muslim, who became the first Sultan of Egypt and Syria, and founded the Ayyubid dynasty. He led Muslim and Arab opposition to the Franks and other European Crusaders in the Levant...

, arrived in Yemen in the year 1173 CE. Ta'izz was refortified by Salah ad-Din’s brother, Taktakeen, the Ayyubid.

The second Rasulid
Rasulid
The Rasulid was a Muslim dynasty that ruled Yemen and Hadhramaut from 1229 to 1454. The Rasulids assumed power after the Egyptian Ayyubid left the southern provinces of the Arabian Peninsula....

 King, Almaddhafar (1288 CE), established Ta'izz as the second capital of the Rasulid Dynasty after Zabid.
Ibn Battutah visited Taiz in the fourteenth century and described it as one of the largest and most beautiful cities of Yemen.

Ta'izz remained a walled city until 1948 when Imam Ahmed made it the second capital of Yemen, allowing for expansion beyond its fortified wall.

During the 2011 Yemeni uprising
2011 Yemeni uprising
The 2011 Yemen Uprising followed the initial stages of the Tunisian Revolution and occurred simultaneously with the Egyptian Revolution and other mass protests in the Middle East in early 2011. In its early phase, protests in Yemen were initially against unemployment, economic conditions and...

 fighting in Ta'izz resulted in anti-government forces seizing control of the city.

Chronology

1175: Ta'izz is made capital of Yemen as it was incorporated into dominions of the Ayyubid dynasty
Ayyubid dynasty
The Ayyubid dynasty was a Muslim dynasty of Kurdish origin, founded by Saladin and centered in Egypt. The dynasty ruled much of the Middle East during the 12th and 13th centuries CE. The Ayyubid family, under the brothers Ayyub and Shirkuh, originally served as soldiers for the Zengids until they...

 by Turan-Shah
Turan-Shah
Turan-Shah ibn Ayyub al-Malik al-Mu'azzam Shams ad-Dawla Fakhr ad-Din known simply as Turan-Shah was the Ayyubid governor of Yemen , then Damascus . He is noted for strengthening the position of his younger brother, Saladin, in Egypt and playing the leading role in the Ayyubid conquests of both...

.

1500 (approximately): The capital is moved to Sana'a
Sana'a
-Districts:*Al Wahdah District*As Sabain District*Assafi'yah District*At Tahrir District*Ath'thaorah District*Az'zal District*Bani Al Harith District*Ma'ain District*Old City District*Shu'aub District-Old City:...

 by the ruler of the Taharid dynasty.

1516: Ta'izz comes under Ottoman
Ottoman Empire
The Ottoman EmpireIt was usually referred to as the "Ottoman Empire", the "Turkish Empire", the "Ottoman Caliphate" or more commonly "Turkey" by its contemporaries...

 control.

1918: The Ottomans lose Ta'iz to the new independent Yemen.

1948: Ta'izz becomes the administrative capital of Yemen, as it is made the residence of the imam
Imam
An imam is an Islamic leadership position, often the worship leader of a mosque and the Muslim community. Similar to spiritual leaders, the imam is the one who leads Islamic worship services. More often, the community turns to the mosque imam if they have a religious question...

.

1962: State administrations move back to Sana'a.

1960s: The first purified water system of Yemen is opened in Ta'izz

Climate

The weather in Taizz is fair and beautiful most of the time. The average daily temperature high during August is 30°C. Annual rainfall of Ta'izz may reach 760 mm to over 1,000 on Jabal Sabir per year.

Main sights

The city has many old and beautiful quarters, with houses that are typically built with brown bricks, and mosque
Mosque
A mosque is a place of worship for followers of Islam. The word is likely to have entered the English language through French , from Portuguese , from Spanish , and from Berber , ultimately originating in — . The Arabic word masjid literally means a place of prostration...

s are usually white. Most famous among the mosques are the Ashrafiya, the Muctabiya and the Mudhaffar. Also memorable are the old citadel and the governor's palace that rests on top of a mountain spur 450 metres above the city centre.
It also has one of the most famous mountains in Yemen, the Saber mountain (almost 3000m above sea level), which affords panoramic views over the city.
The city has a Muslim madrasa that has university
University
A university is an institution of higher education and research, which grants academic degrees in a variety of subjects. A university is an organisation that provides both undergraduate education and postgraduate education...

 status.

Economy

Since Ta'izz receives a lot of rain, its economy is mainly based on agriculture. The economic base of Ta'izz is coffee
Coffee
Coffee is a brewed beverage with a dark,init brooo acidic flavor prepared from the roasted seeds of the coffee plant, colloquially called coffee beans. The beans are found in coffee cherries, which grow on trees cultivated in over 70 countries, primarily in equatorial Latin America, Southeast Asia,...

, grown in the surrounding landscape together with the mild narcotic qat
Khat
Khat, qat, gat or Waquish Spoken from true Yemeni, is a flowering plant native to tropical East Africa and the Arabian Peninsula....

 and other vegetables. Among the city's own industries are cotton
Cotton
Cotton is a soft, fluffy staple fiber that grows in a boll, or protective capsule, around the seeds of cotton plants of the genus Gossypium. The fiber is almost pure cellulose. The botanical purpose of cotton fiber is to aid in seed dispersal....

-weaving, tanning and production of jewellery. Ta'izz cheese is also renowned throughout Yemen.

Ta'izz today is the largest industrial base in Yemen.

Transport

Ta'izz has many road connections with the rest of the country. The city is served by Ta'izz International Airport
Ta'izz International Airport
Ta'izz International Airport is a public airport located in Ta'izz, the capital of the Ta'izz Governorate, Yemen.-Airlines and destinations:-Accidents and incidents:...

.

Sport

The city counts 3 football clubs participating to the Yemeni League
Yemeni League
Yemeni League is the top division of the Yemen Football Association, it was created in 1990 after the unification of North and South Yemen. It was decided to set up a 4-level league system: Premier, First, Second and Third divisions....

: The most important is Al-Saqr
Al-Saqr
Al Saqr is an Yemeni football club based in Ta'izz, Yemen. The club was founded in 1969.-Performance in AFC competitions:*AFC Cup: 2 appearancesبطل الدوري اليمني 2006 , 2010بطل كأس الوحدة اليمنية 2008 , 2010بطل كأس السوبر اليمني 2010...

, winner of 2 championships, the other are Al-Ahli
Al-Ahli (Taizz)
Al-Ahli Ta'izz, is a football club from Ta'izz, Yemen.- Current Squad :...

 and Al Rasheed
Al Rasheed Ta'izz
Al Rasheed Ta'izz is a football club playing in Yemen....

.
Ta'izz , or Taiz, is a city in the Yemen
Yemen
The Republic of Yemen , commonly known as Yemen , is a country located in the Middle East, occupying the southwestern to southern end of the Arabian Peninsula. It is bordered by Saudi Arabia to the north, the Red Sea to the west, and Oman to the east....

i Highlands
Highland (geography)
The term highland or upland is used to denote any mountainous region or elevated mountainous plateau. Generally speaking, the term upland tends to be used for ranges of hills, typically up to 500-600m, and highland for ranges of low mountains.The Scottish Highlands refers to the mountainous...

, near the famous Mocha
Mocha, Yemen
Mocha or Mokha is a port city on the Red Sea coast of Yemen. Until it was eclipsed in the 19th century by Aden and Hodeida, Mocha was the principal port for Yemen's capital Sana'a.-Overview:...

 port on the Red Sea
Red Sea
The Red Sea is a seawater inlet of the Indian Ocean, lying between Africa and Asia. The connection to the ocean is in the south through the Bab el Mandeb strait and the Gulf of Aden. In the north, there is the Sinai Peninsula, the Gulf of Aqaba, and the Gulf of Suez...

, lying at an elevation of about 1,400 metres above sea level. It is the capital of Ta'izz Governorate
Ta'izz Governorate
Ta'izz is a governorate of Yemen. The governorate's capital is Ta'izz, which is the third largest city in Yemen. Other major towns include Al Sawa, Juha and the famous coffee port of Mocha. It has a total population of just over three million and an area of 10,677km².For such a small area, Ta'izz...

. With a population of over 600,000 in 2005, it is the third largest city in Yemen after the capital Sana'a
Sana'a
-Districts:*Al Wahdah District*As Sabain District*Assafi'yah District*At Tahrir District*Ath'thaorah District*Az'zal District*Bani Al Harith District*Ma'ain District*Old City District*Shu'aub District-Old City:...

 and the southern port of Aden
Aden
Aden is a seaport city in Yemen, located by the eastern approach to the Red Sea , some 170 kilometres east of Bab-el-Mandeb. Its population is approximately 800,000. Aden's ancient, natural harbour lies in the crater of an extinct volcano which now forms a peninsula, joined to the mainland by a...

.

Ta'izz has a dramatic setting where the roads run up and down the mountain sides. Above the city rises the 3,006 metres high Sabir Mountain. The city is famous for the ancient Jewish Sharab
Jewish Sharab
Jewish Sharab is an ancient Jewish quarter in the city of Ta'izz, Ta'izz Governorate, Yemen established around 130 CE and dismantled around 1940, and was one of the most illustrious places of Jewish settlement in Yemen. Many distinguished Jewish personalities were born there, including R. Shalom...

.

Overview

The name of the city appeared first at the 6th century of Hijra
Hijri year
The Hijri year is year numbering system used in the Islamic calendar. It commemorates the Hijra , or emigration of Muhammad and his followers to the city of Medina in 622 CE. In Arabic, AH is symbolized by the letter هـ...

, 12th CE, when Turan Shah, the brother of Salah ad-Din
Saladin
Ṣalāḥ ad-Dīn Yūsuf ibn Ayyūb , better known in the Western world as Saladin, was an Arabized Kurdish Muslim, who became the first Sultan of Egypt and Syria, and founded the Ayyubid dynasty. He led Muslim and Arab opposition to the Franks and other European Crusaders in the Levant...

, arrived in Yemen in the year 1173 CE. Ta'izz was refortified by Salah ad-Din’s brother, Taktakeen, the Ayyubid.

The second Rasulid
Rasulid
The Rasulid was a Muslim dynasty that ruled Yemen and Hadhramaut from 1229 to 1454. The Rasulids assumed power after the Egyptian Ayyubid left the southern provinces of the Arabian Peninsula....

 King, Almaddhafar (1288 CE), established Ta'izz as the second capital of the Rasulid Dynasty after Zabid.
Ibn Battutah visited Taiz in the fourteenth century and described it as one of the largest and most beautiful cities of Yemen.

Ta'izz remained a walled city until 1948 when Imam Ahmed made it the second capital of Yemen, allowing for expansion beyond its fortified wall.

During the 2011 Yemeni uprising
2011 Yemeni uprising
The 2011 Yemen Uprising followed the initial stages of the Tunisian Revolution and occurred simultaneously with the Egyptian Revolution and other mass protests in the Middle East in early 2011. In its early phase, protests in Yemen were initially against unemployment, economic conditions and...

 fighting in Ta'izz resulted in anti-government forces seizing control of the city.

Chronology

1175: Ta'izz is made capital of Yemen as it was incorporated into dominions of the Ayyubid dynasty
Ayyubid dynasty
The Ayyubid dynasty was a Muslim dynasty of Kurdish origin, founded by Saladin and centered in Egypt. The dynasty ruled much of the Middle East during the 12th and 13th centuries CE. The Ayyubid family, under the brothers Ayyub and Shirkuh, originally served as soldiers for the Zengids until they...

 by Turan-Shah
Turan-Shah
Turan-Shah ibn Ayyub al-Malik al-Mu'azzam Shams ad-Dawla Fakhr ad-Din known simply as Turan-Shah was the Ayyubid governor of Yemen , then Damascus . He is noted for strengthening the position of his younger brother, Saladin, in Egypt and playing the leading role in the Ayyubid conquests of both...

.

1500 (approximately): The capital is moved to Sana'a
Sana'a
-Districts:*Al Wahdah District*As Sabain District*Assafi'yah District*At Tahrir District*Ath'thaorah District*Az'zal District*Bani Al Harith District*Ma'ain District*Old City District*Shu'aub District-Old City:...

 by the ruler of the Taharid dynasty.

1516: Ta'izz comes under Ottoman
Ottoman Empire
The Ottoman EmpireIt was usually referred to as the "Ottoman Empire", the "Turkish Empire", the "Ottoman Caliphate" or more commonly "Turkey" by its contemporaries...

 control.

1918: The Ottomans lose Ta'iz to the new independent Yemen.

1948: Ta'izz becomes the administrative capital of Yemen, as it is made the residence of the imam
Imam
An imam is an Islamic leadership position, often the worship leader of a mosque and the Muslim community. Similar to spiritual leaders, the imam is the one who leads Islamic worship services. More often, the community turns to the mosque imam if they have a religious question...

.

1962: State administrations move back to Sana'a.

1960s: The first purified water system of Yemen is opened in Ta'izz

Climate

The weather in Taizz is fair and beautiful most of the time. The average daily temperature high during August is 30°C. Annual rainfall of Ta'izz may reach 760 mm to over 1,000 on Jabal Sabir per year.

Main sights

The city has many old and beautiful quarters, with houses that are typically built with brown bricks, and mosque
Mosque
A mosque is a place of worship for followers of Islam. The word is likely to have entered the English language through French , from Portuguese , from Spanish , and from Berber , ultimately originating in — . The Arabic word masjid literally means a place of prostration...

s are usually white. Most famous among the mosques are the Ashrafiya, the Muctabiya and the Mudhaffar. Also memorable are the old citadel and the governor's palace that rests on top of a mountain spur 450 metres above the city centre.
It also has one of the most famous mountains in Yemen, the Saber mountain (almost 3000m above sea level), which affords panoramic views over the city.
The city has a Muslim madrasa that has university
University
A university is an institution of higher education and research, which grants academic degrees in a variety of subjects. A university is an organisation that provides both undergraduate education and postgraduate education...

 status.

Economy

Since Ta'izz receives a lot of rain, its economy is mainly based on agriculture. The economic base of Ta'izz is coffee
Coffee
Coffee is a brewed beverage with a dark,init brooo acidic flavor prepared from the roasted seeds of the coffee plant, colloquially called coffee beans. The beans are found in coffee cherries, which grow on trees cultivated in over 70 countries, primarily in equatorial Latin America, Southeast Asia,...

, grown in the surrounding landscape together with the mild narcotic qat
Khat
Khat, qat, gat or Waquish Spoken from true Yemeni, is a flowering plant native to tropical East Africa and the Arabian Peninsula....

 and other vegetables. Among the city's own industries are cotton
Cotton
Cotton is a soft, fluffy staple fiber that grows in a boll, or protective capsule, around the seeds of cotton plants of the genus Gossypium. The fiber is almost pure cellulose. The botanical purpose of cotton fiber is to aid in seed dispersal....

-weaving, tanning and production of jewellery. Ta'izz cheese is also renowned throughout Yemen.

Ta'izz today is the largest industrial base in Yemen.

Transport

Ta'izz has many road connections with the rest of the country. The city is served by Ta'izz International Airport
Ta'izz International Airport
Ta'izz International Airport is a public airport located in Ta'izz, the capital of the Ta'izz Governorate, Yemen.-Airlines and destinations:-Accidents and incidents:...

.

Sport

The city counts 3 football clubs participating to the Yemeni League
Yemeni League
Yemeni League is the top division of the Yemen Football Association, it was created in 1990 after the unification of North and South Yemen. It was decided to set up a 4-level league system: Premier, First, Second and Third divisions....

: The most important is Al-Saqr
Al-Saqr
Al Saqr is an Yemeni football club based in Ta'izz, Yemen. The club was founded in 1969.-Performance in AFC competitions:*AFC Cup: 2 appearancesبطل الدوري اليمني 2006 , 2010بطل كأس الوحدة اليمنية 2008 , 2010بطل كأس السوبر اليمني 2010...

, winner of 2 championships, the other are Al-Ahli
Al-Ahli (Taizz)
Al-Ahli Ta'izz, is a football club from Ta'izz, Yemen.- Current Squad :...

 and Al Rasheed
Al Rasheed Ta'izz
Al Rasheed Ta'izz is a football club playing in Yemen....

.
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