It is also famous for being the location where the Himyarite king Dhu Nuwas massacred the majority of the population of the city which had converted to Christianity from South Arabian polytheism.

[2] The largest of these structures is a fort, which dates back to the 1st century BCE and is built out of bricks made from stone and mud.

[3][4] During the time period of Late Antiquitiy, the inhabitants of Najran adhered to South Arabian polytheism and venerated a large tree which they had deified.

[7] In the 470s, the Himyarite king Sharhabil Yakkuf ordered the execution of a Christian priest named Azqir, who had erected a chapel or church in the ancient town.

[12] All of the people of Najran whom had refused to accept Judaism or leave Christianity were brutally massacred, and their churches and chapels burnt to the ground.

(Translated by Mustafa Khattab)After 530 CE, Dhu Nuwas had been defeated by the Kingdom of Aksum, and Christianity returned to flourish in Najran.