Taiz ( ) is a
governorate of
Yemen. The governorate's capital is
Taiz, which is the third largest city in Yemen. Other major towns include Al Sawa, Juha and the famous
coffee port of
Mocha. It has a total population of just over three million and an area of 10,677 km². Taiz city is the major centre of
Islamic learning in Yemen and was the nation's capital between 1948 and 1962. However, it is not as old as nearby
Ibb and
Jibla. Today it is the most important commercial centre in Yemen owing to its proximity to the richest farmland in the nation and to the important
Red Sea port of Mokha. It also has an
international airport,
Taiz International Airport, with numerous services within Yemen and to neighbouring countries.