"Seyun" a Say'un Travel Page by grets

Seyun is built in a commanding position at the foot of Jebel Ayyub, in the centre of a fertile area providing ample food supplies. In pre-Islamic times, the town was on the trade route up Wadi Masilah from the coast, and frankincense was also grown locally in those days.

The greatest change for Seyun came at the end of the 15th century with its invasion by the troops of Badr bin Tuwairiq from Sana’a. They started the Kathiri dynasty with Seyun as their capital, which lasted until Sultan Hussein bin Ali fled to Saudi Arabia in 1967.

Since reunification, businessmen from both Aden and Sana’a have seen the opportunities for developing Wadi Hadramawt and are using Seyun as their centre of operations. The return of government seized property since 1990 has also added to the building and development boom that Seyun is experiencing.

Arab legend tells that the town of Seyun was built in pre-Islamic times on the site of the castle of a certain Princess Say’un. There is no trace of this castle now. At the very beginning, the town was no more than a meeting place for camel drivers from the desert and enterprising merchants from the coast. Both sides took advantage of the security offered here for a fee by the local sheikh. The business activity at the camping place attracted nomads and caused them to settle in the vicinity.