RADA’A, Sept. 4 – Sheikh Sinan Jaraoon, undersecretary of Beida’a governorate for Rada’a affairs, denied that heavy rains are behind the collapse of the historic Alamria Castle’s outer walls Saturday, as reported by the media.

Jaraoon told the Yemen Times that a committee specializing in discovering antiquities was formed to investigate the cause of the damages to Alamria.

The castle has long-been used as a military base. Jaraoon said the grounds beneath the castle have been subject to high stress because of this, so the investigation will consider the castle’s use by the military when determining the cause of the collapse.

Jaraoon said he gave urgent orders to start renovating the castle and the surrounding fences, which threaten to collapse as well, and to focus on finishing the outer walls meant to protect the castle.

It is suggested that a bid be placed to renovate the castle in a professional way by specialized and qualified bodies.

Jaraoon said there are mutual efforts between local authorities and the Yemeni Antiquities Authority to search for sources and donors to fund a project to renovate the castle. He called upon the Ministry of Culture and the General Authority for Antiquities to save money and to pay greater attention to other historical areas in Rada’a so they won’t see the same destruction Alamria Castle has been exposed to.

For his part, Jameel Shamsan, a member of the General Authority to Protect Historical Cities, warned of the negative consequences of ignoring antiquities and historical museums in Rada’a. He demanded a team of specialized engineers be sent to the area to evaluate the damages to the castle and also to protect it from further collapse.

He called upon the Ministry of Finance to set a budget to save the city and to take serious steps to protect this historical landmark and its distinguished architecture.

Rada’a is considered a famous historical site in Yemen. The castle was built as a protection for the city and is still a sample of ancient Yemeni military architecture.

The castle is located in the middle of Rada’a atop the highest place in the city. It is considered the second most important place there, behind the Ahram Mountain.