Manakha is an ancient Yemeni fortified stronghold in the Jebel Harraz Region. Traditionally home to the Ismailis who built their defensive towns in the high mountains, Manakha is the principal town in the area. The town has steep, narrow streets, stone forts and fortified stone houses – a result of its strategic position from the times of the Ottoman occupation, as it served as a base for protecting supply lines between Sana’a and Hodeidah. The area is known for its fortified villages and beautiful scenery of terraced hillsides planted with coffee, millet and qat.