A caravan stopping point during the Himyarite Kingdom, the Haraz was later the stronghold of the Sulayhid dynasty, which was established in Yemen in 1037.

Constructed from sandstone and basalt, the buildings are integrated into the landscape and it is difficult to tell where the rock and the village begins or ends.

On these terraced fields grow alfalfa for livestock, millet, lentils, large areas for coffee, and qat.

Manakhah is the heart of the mountain range, a large town whose market attracts villagers from the entire neighborhood.

[citation needed] This area was added to the UNESCO World Heritage Tentative List on July 8, 2002, by the State Party of Yemen in the mixed (cultural and natural) category, as a site that has "outstanding universal value".