The Old Wonder of Sana'a
Like Shibam in Hadhramout, the old city of Sana'a - a UN heritage site, is a most captivating site. Not only is it the oldest UN preserved city in the Arab world, it's too - one of the oldest continuously inhabited cities in the world. The Old City or Sana'a Al'Qadima as it's commonly called, dates back to years BC.
Most of the almost 7,000 houses and 100 mosques date to the Seventh and Eighth centuries BC.
It was once an Arab center for Muslims, Christians and Jews.
The Wonderland, is surrounded by ancient clay walls which stand six to nine meters high.
Bab Al Yaman, the main entry into the Old City, is reportedly over 700 years old. Read more on Sana'a here, here and here.
Most of the almost 7,000 houses and 100 mosques date to the Seventh and Eighth centuries BC.
It was once an Arab center for Muslims, Christians and Jews.
The Wonderland, is surrounded by ancient clay walls which stand six to nine meters high.
Most of the buildings are built of rammed clay and small pebbles, dark basalt stones and bricks.
Bab Al Yaman, the main entry into the Old City, is reportedly over 700 years old. Read more on Sana'a here, here and here.
Comments
Beautiful, beautiful pictures! Your city looks very much different from the cities in my country.
I am a postcard lover. Would you be kind enough to send me a postcard? I would really, really love to have a postcard showing parts of your beautiful city. Please, please, please....
Should you be interested to receive a postcard from my country in return, please just let me know.
Thanks very much and have a great day!
The cyclone slowed down but there is a heavy downpour now going on; that, too, is dangerous. I and my family are all safe. Thanks for caring!
Pinaya: there simply are no postcards on Al Mukalla; should I ever come across any, I will send you one.
SF: Sana'a Al Qadima, is a true wonder. Imagine people here were so advanced and living in such houses thousands of years ago - when most of the World was still in darkness. Unfortunately, we didn't keep up developing.
1) The city walls were destroyed completely in the early 60s, and the Portals as well (except of Bab A-Yemen). the walls you see now are a remake from eight or nine years ago.
2) the houses are not made of clay, they are made of basalt stone and bricks.
3) although the city as such is thousands of years old, the buildings aren't. most buildings are between 100-300 years old and only very few more than 500 years.
thank you for featuring Sana'a. Did you visit it recently?
I often travel to Sana'a and love it; I am Yemeni - it seems you have mistakenly thought I am not.