Mosque Aljrydt Alqdym Altarykhy

High on the terraced slopes of the Hayfan district in Taiz province, the old historic al Jarida Mosque belongs to a mountain community whose villages cling to the dramatic green ridges of the western Yemeni highlands. Hayfan sits between the coffee producing town of al Makha on the Red Sea and the ancient city of Taiz inland, and the caravans of qat, coffee beans, and hand woven cotton that passed through these slopes during Ottoman and Rasulid times shaped a landscape of walled terraces, stone houses, and modest village mosques scattered along the ridgelines like small white beacons visible for miles. Yemen is among the earliest lands to have accepted Islam. Delegations from Hamdan and other tribes travelled to Madinah during the lifetime of the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him and his family), and he sent to them the young companion Mu'adh ibn Jabal (may God be pleased with him) as a teacher and judge. From that moment Yemen has produced an uninterrupted chain of scholars, memorisers of the Qur'an, and faithful craftsmen, and a village masjid such as this one is a humble but authentic link in that chain. The architecture reflects the Yemeni mountain tradition. Walls of dressed stone laid in horizontal bands, small square windows with carved wooden shutters, whitewashed plaster framing the doorways, and a short stone minaret give the mosque a quiet strength that has endured earthquakes, conflict, and the passage of several centuries. Inside, a modest mihrab, worn reed mats, and a rough hewn wooden minbar stand ready for the farmers, herders, and teachers who gather here before Fajr when the mountain air is still cold and sharp. Accurate daily prayer times for the historic al Jarida Mosque in Hayfan, together with its address, a clear map pin, and visitor notes, are available on this page for local residents, for Yemeni travellers passing between Taiz and the coast, and for researchers studying highland mosque architecture. Hayfan is celebrated for the finest grade coffee beans sold at the old markets of al Mokha and for the refreshing mist that rolls over its ridges at sunrise. Worshippers at al Jarida often linger after prayer to share flat loaves of sorghum bread and cups of cardamom coffee, carrying the unaffected warmth of the highlands into every friendly greeting.