al-Medina al-qadima, Sana'a-fi Sana'a (Old City of Sana'a) Guide

The UNESCO-preserved site of the Old City of Sana’a is the largest preserved old city in the Arab world. Sana’a, which translates from Arabic as ‘fortified place’, has been the political capital of Yemen since the unification of the Yemen Arab Republic and the People’s Democratic Republic of Yemen in 1990. It is one of the oldest continuously inhabited cities in the world, and according to Yemeni legend was founded by Shem, one of the three sons of Noah, possibly as early as the second century BC. Once an Arabian centre for Christians and Jews, the city was converted to Islam in AD 632. Apart from brief periods of Ottoman control – in the 16th century and between 1872 and 1940 – members of the Zaydi dynasty thereafter ruled Sana’a more or less continuously until 1962, when it became the capital of the newly founded Yemen Arab Republic. Surrounded by ancient clay walls which stand six to nine metres (20-30ft) high, the old city is a wonderland of over 100 mosques, 12 hammams (baths) and 6500 houses. Most of the buildings date back to the seventh and eighth centuries BC, when the city achieved prominence as an important centre for Islam, and were constructed from dark basalt stone and brick. One of the most popular attractions is the 1000-year-old Suq al-Milh (Salt Market), where it is possible to buy not only salt but also bread, spices, raisins, cotton, copper, pottery, silverware, antiques, and a host of other goods. The seventh century al-Jami’al-Kabir (Great Mosque) is one of the oldest in the Muslim world and its Persian-style minarets pierce the city's skyline. The Liberty Gate, formerly known as Bab al-Yaman (Yemen Gate) until the 1962 revolution, is one of the many points of entry through the city walls and is over 700 years old. The National Museum consists of three floors of displays and exhibitions, including ancient Yemeni writings, coins, jewellery and traditional costume.

For more information of the Old City of Sana’a, contact the General Authority of Tourism, Yemen (see Tourist Information above).

Air: Sana’a International Airport. Road: Car: Hodeida Way (from Hodeida); Aden Way (from Aden); Ta’izz Way (from Ta’izz); Marib Way (from Marib); Sa’dah Way (from Sa’dah).

Ministry of Tourism and Environment
PO Box 5607, 48 Amman Street, Sana’a, Republic of Yemen
Tel: (01) 252 319. Fax: (01) 252 316. E-mail: mkt@yenet.com
Website: www.yenet.com/tourism
Embassy of the Republic of Yemen
57 Cromwell Road, London SW7 2ED, UK
Tel: (020) 7584 6607. Fax: (020) 7589 3350.

Yemen