Sanaa Unchanged by Test of Time
By Miral Fahmy Yemen Times 21 January, 2004 Nestled in the southern tip of the Arabian peninsula is a city where time seems to have stood still. Sanaa, capital of the Arab state of Yemen, is home to unique mud-brick architecture and over a million inhabitants who still cherish their forebears' customs -- an island of tradition in a region where western influences have become the norm. The contrast is greatest when Sanaa is compared with the capital cities of its wealthy Gulf Arab neighbors, with their glittering skyscrapers, wide boulevards and shopping malls. "Sanaa is an open-air museum," said Italian Marco Livadiotti, who has lived in the city since 1960 and is now a heritage consultant who runs one of the country's biggest and oldest tour operators. "It is like Venice, a place whose history is an integral part of its present and future. It's a very special place." Historians say Sanaa's ancient quarter, declared a world heritage site by the United Nations, is one of the best-preserved Arab medinas or cities in the world. Some of the buildings in the walled area are 1,000 years old and its residents go about their daily lives in much the same way as they have done for hundreds of years. Once through the main entrance, known as the Bab or Gate of Yemen, visitors feel they have slipped into the past. The area remains the city's main souk or market where men in colorful sarongs, daggers strapped to their waists, hawk the frankincense and myrrh that Yemen once exported to the world. The souk is still divided into specialized districts, with tiny shops clustered together along cobbled alleyways selling everything from coffee, spices and silver to modern necessities such as mobile telephones and electronic appliances. "Every one that passed through Yemen passed through here and left something behind so it's got everything," said 11-year-old Mohammed, who takes visitors around the area after school. Most of Sanaa's residents come from conservative tribes located in the mountains that loom over the city and women still dress in tie-dyed robes that reveal only the eyes. Old Sanaa is currently undergoing a state-sponsored restoration of the caravanserai hotels and homes that are built from clay in keeping with centuries-old traditions. Almost all buildings boast elaborate, stained-glass windows known as kamariyat in reference to their half-moon shape. Hammams or communal bathhouses also abound in the city and many are still operational. Most districts have their own garden where sheep graze and women cultivate salad vegetables. When Sanaa became the capital of the Republic of Yemen in 1962, it was a city of lush fields and some 34,000 inhabitants. Rather than espouse modern traditions, Sanaanites chose to expand the city in the same style as before but with modern twists such as satellite dishes and air conditioning. Sanaa's tallest buildings are about nine-stories high and only a few along the downtown Tahrir square are the squat concrete and aluminum structures common in most Arab cities. Sanaa's relatively unspoiled splendor makes a walk in the city akin to a history lesson. According to Yemeni lore, Sanaa is one of the oldest sites of human settlement and was founded by Noah's son Shem. Legend has it that Shem traveled down the Arabian peninsula until a bird took the lead of his horse and dropped it when he reached a fertile plain ringed by mountains. He then laid the foundations of Sanaa, which means a fortified city. Inscriptions from the first century refer to Sanaa as an important post along the ancient trade routes between Africa and Asia. It served as the capital for several Himyarite kings as well as the Ethiopian and Persian conquerors of Yemen in the fourth and fifth centuries. Some buildings still bear the Star of David, a testament to the city's once vibrant Jewish community. The Jews were the city's powerful merchants until a 1950 exodus to Israel took most of them away. Only 200 Jews remain in Yemen, living on the outskirts of Sanaa. Sanaa is one of Yemen's biggest attractions, but fears of militant attacks and kidnappings by disgruntled tribesmen have kept the tourists and their much-needed cash away. Yemen is the ancestral home of Osama bin Laden and the government has launched a huge crackdown on his al Qaeda network in an attempt to clean up its image as a haven for militants. Despite the tighter security measures, shootings and stabbings are not uncommon. Policemen often accompany the few tourists who brave the old city. "It's a shame Sanaa is still seen as unsafe," said Ahmed Haj, who sells silver daggers in the souk. "We live in the cradle of one of the oldest civilizations in the world yet nobody visits us to appreciate it."
Back to main page

The Reel Yemen Revealed in New Yemen Tourism Advert Yemen uses fictional story filmed elsewhere to promote the reality of an extraordinary destination (21/04/2012)

Showing 1 news articles
Back To Top

Taz Office / Agents Mr. Khalid Al-Dhababi P.O. Box 2572 Taz - Yemen Mobile: +967 734 08278 E-mail: itmtaz@tcph.org

تعز السيد خالد عبده الضبابي ص.ب 2572 تعز – الجمهورية اليمنية لتغطية دولة اليمن