Al Luḩayyah

Al Luḩayyah
Al Luḩayyah Location in Yemen
Coordinates: 15°23′0″N 42°33′37″E
Kintra	Yemen
Govrenorate	Al Hudaydah
	2,656
Time zone	UTC+3 (Yemen Staundart Time)

Al Luḩayyah (kent as Luhayyah, Loheia, Luhaiyah, or Loheiya an aw) is a toun on the Tihamah coastal plain in Al Hudaydah Govrenorate, Yemen. The port itsel lees 4 mile (6 km) soothwast o Al Luḩayyah, pairtially protectit bi the affshore island o Al-Urmak.

History

Accordin tae local tradeetion the toun grew up aroond the dwellin an tomb o a holy man, Sheikh Salei, an developit frae aroond the mid-15t century intae a substantial centre o the export trade in coffee. Bi the end o the 18t century it wis a wawed an well-fortifee'd toun. It was unner the direction o the Emir Farhan when an expedition frae Denmark visitit the ceety an describit their reception.

Frae aboot 1800 onwairds Al Luḩayyah was a pairt o the Ottoman Empire, an in 1912 suffered damage durin a dispute atween Turkey an Italy. It wis captured in 1918 in a joint attack bi the Breetish Navy an forces lyal tae the Idrisi rulers o Asir, unner whose control it remained till 1925 when it again came unner Yemeni authority. It wis seisit in ware 1934 bi the Saudis, who returned it housomeivver in the same year unner the Treaty o Al-Ta'if.

The toun wis umwhile a tradin centre o significance but haes declined in the last twa centuries, especially as seaborne traffec haes muivit tae more modern facilities at Ahmadi, the port o Al Hudaydah. The population is estimatit at unner 3,000.