Taiz is a city in the
Yemeni Highlands, near the famous
Mocha port on the
Red Sea, lying at an elevation of about 1,400 metres above sea level and Sabir Mountain that neighbors it rises the 3,006 metres above the city. It is the capital of
Taiz Governorate. With a population of over 600,000 in 2005, it is the third largest city in Yemen after the capital
Sana'a and the southern port of
Aden. When Yemen was at peace, it was considered to be the cultural capital of Yemen.