Awam Temple and Cemetery, Marib
Haram Bilkis
Yemen · Marib
In brief
Awam was an important sanctuary dedicated to Almaqah, the principal god of Saba. The 1951–1952 excavations confirmed the adjacent necropolis; the German Archaeological Institute resumed cemetery research in 1997, and fieldwork was interrupted in 2002 due to security problems.
What was found?
- 1Oval temple wall
It is a monumental stone wall surrounding the temple's sacred precinct. The fill between the dressed stone surfaces and the wall's internal connections demonstrate Sabaean stone construction techniques.
- 2Multistory stone tombs
Aboveground tomb structures with separate burial compartments were uncovered in the necropolis. Their different forms allow changes in the cemetery over time and social differences to be traced.
- 3Tomb ownership inscriptions
The inscriptions on tomb facades state the owners' identities and their shares in the tomb. They therefore allow us to understand how shared tomb use was regulated.
- 4Alabaster heads and facial reliefs
These are alabaster heads placed in niches in funerary stelae and facial reliefs on exterior walls. According to researchers, together with name inscriptions, they show the importance attached to preserving the deceased person's identity.
What does it point to?
The temple and its surrounding necropolis show that worship and commemoration of the dead were concentrated around the same sacred center. According to researchers, the construction and use of tombs and their ceremonies were strictly regulated by the temple's priests.
What did it teach us?
- It revealed that the Sabaeans built multistory stone tombs divided into compartments.
- It showed that tomb use was governed by written ownership and share arrangements.
- It documented the commemoration of deceased individuals through names and facial representations.
Record
- Culture
- Sabaean
- First modern dig
- 1951
- Team / historical
- At the temple: American Foundation for the Study of Man and Yemeni authorities; at the necropolis: German Archaeological Institute
- Coordinates
- 15.4044°, 45.3558°
Sources
- whc.unesco.org
- whc.unesco.org
- dainst.org
- whc.unesco.org
- Alman Arkeoloji Enstitüsü — Avam nekropolü araştırma sonuçları
- UNESCO Dünya Mirası Merkezi — Marib adaylık dosyası
Nearby excavations
- Ancient Shabwah 179 km
- Al-Ukhdud 262 km
- Qaryat al-Faw 485 km
- Aksum 728 km
- Harlaa 757 km
- Melka Kunture 1,047 km
- —
- —
- 12.000
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