"كُتيّب اليمن" [و‎‎١‎٨] (١٩٠/٤٠)

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ruined the town's trade. It was, like Zebid, formerly
also a centre of cotton and indigo production and of the
weaving and dyeing industries.
(There is a village of the same name, distinguished as
Beit el-Faqih el-Kebir, about equidistant from Hodeidah
on the north, on the Loheiah road.)
(3) Zebid, the ancient capital of the lowlands, has
always been, and still is, one of the most considerable towns
of Yemen. The population was given by Manzoni, in
1880, as 15,000 ; Bury (1913), however, computed it at
8,000, and this latter figure probably is the more correct
estimate at the present moment. The town, quadrilateral
in form, is surrounded by strong walls, restored in recent
times and in good condition. There are four gates ; to
north, the Bab es-Siham, leading to Beit el-Faqih ; east,
the Bab esh-Shiabariq, to Hais and Ta'iz; south-west,
the Bab en-Nekhil; and south, the Bab el-Qurtub. Zebid
is still famous for its university and Sunni (Shafe'i) College,
which is located in the great mosque ; and there are three
other large mosques, besides a number of smaller ones.
The bazaar is characterized by Manzoni as the finest in
Yemen, and is conspicuously well stocked with local produce
of vegetables and fruits, besides imported supplies. Out
side the walls are El-Beshi fort and the barracks. The
town is on the Hodeidah-Beit el-Faqih-Mokhah telegraph
line. In the extensive inland delta-like tract of Wadi
Zebid, cotton and indigo are cultivated as special products,
but not to the same extent as formerly ; and the weaving
and dyeing industries, for which at one time Zebid was
famous, have been largely transferred to Hodeidah.
Zebid is the administrative centre of the Turkish districts
of Wasab el-Asfal and Wasab el-'Ali.
The turbulent Zaraniq tribesmen, occupying the district
to the north, with the headquarters of one of their chiefs,
Mohammed Yahya Fashik, at Huseiniyah, nine miles dis
tant, much disturb the communications of Zebid.