Himyarite Kingdom
The city of Sana'a was the military center of the pre-Islamic kingdom of the Sabeans and was an important center for the Himyarite Kingdom. The mosque, commissioned by the Prophet Muhammed who instructed for its construction within the garden of the Persian governors, was built upon the ruins of Sheba's Ghumdan Palace, between the two areas of Sana'a, Al-Quati and Al-Sailah. The Great mosque was built near the suq, which was already in place at the time of its construction.In later years, city planning, expansion and orientation were greatly influenced by the construction of the Great Mosque and two other mosques on the city's north side.