Saada

Saada (), located in the northwest of Yemen, is the capital and largest city of the governorate bearing the same name, as well as the administrative seat of the eponymous district. The city lies in the Serat (Sarawat) mountains at an altitude of approximately 1,800 meters. As of 2004, it was the tenth-largest city in Yemen, with an estimated population of 51,870.

The map of Yemen has included Saada since the reign of the Ma'in Kingdom, the earliest known kingdom in Yemen's history.

Saada is one of the earliest medieval cities in Yemen. It is considered the birthplace of the Shiite sect of Islam in Yemen and served as the base of the Zaydi Imam of Yemen. From the early 9th century to the 20th century, the Rassid dynasty—the longest-reigning dynasty in Yemen's history—prospered in Saada. The dynasty's direct line was replaced by the collateral Qassem dynasty at the end of the 16th century.

Saada is also the stronghold of the Houthis and the birthplace of the Houthi movement. It has been under Houthi control since the conclusion of the Yemeni revolution and was the first city to break away from Yemen's central government during the ongoing Yemeni crisis. Provided by Wikipedia