Visiting the Teetering Husn Fort in Qarn Majid, Yemen

Updated April 2025, Visiting The Teetering Husn Fort In Qarn Majid, Yemen was originally published in August 2020

As soon as the towering Husn Fort came into view as we drove up on Qarn Majid I knew we had to make a stop as we began our journey into Wadi Daw’an Layman. The tall white fort sits atop a precarious boulder that looks like it could crumble beneath at any time, rising from the floor of Wadi Daw’an, similarly to nearby Haid al Jazil, but on a smaller scale.

Start planning: The Yemen Travel Guide

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Qarn Majid, Qarn Majid Yemen, Wadi Doan, Wadi Hadhramaut, Hadhramaut, Yemen, Husn Fort, Wadi Daw'an, Adventures of Nicole

The History Behind Husn Fort

Husn Fort was built in the 19th century in Qarn Majid, which is located just south of the fork where Wadi Daw’an splits into Wadi Daw’an Layasar (right) and Wadi Daw’an Layman (left). The fort was constructed for Sheikh Abdullah bin Muhammad Quhum Al Amudi who was born in the village of Budah, about 3 kilometers south of Qarn Majid in 1812.

Husn Fort was built using the traditional Hadhrami mudbrick methods found throughout the Hadhramaut region and then painted white over the bricks on the exterior.

Qarn Majid, as well as the rest of Wadi Daw’an, has suffered extensive flooding over the years when heavy rains occur. These flash floods take a toll on traditional mudbrick Hadhrami structures and palaces as the water quickly erodes the mud.

In 2013 repairs began on Husn Fort which at the time was close to toppling over after flooding that badly damaged the structure. The Daw’an Mud Brick Architecture Foundation, which has been working on several historic palaces, forts, and mausoleums in the area took on the repair projects needed to restore Husn Fort and bring it back from near collapse.

If you’d like to see the process underwent to restore Husn Fort watch the video embedded below.

Want to visit Qarn Majid and Husn Fort?

I arranged this unique addition of Qarn Majid to see Husn For to a trip into Mainland Yemen and on to Socotra with my guys over at Inertia Network. If you want to set up your own, contact me at adventuresoflilnicki @ gmail.com or over at contact @ inertianetwork.com.