About
The Old City of Sanaa is a UNESCO World Heritage site in Yemen, in Asia. It is one of the best-known historic urban areas in the Arabian Peninsula, and a visit here is mainly a walk through a living city whose architecture has been shaped over a long period.
What you will see
The city is known for its tower houses, built from rammed earth and decorated with intricate geometric patterns. Many rise as high as seven stories, so the old quarter forms a distinctive skyline of earthen buildings. The area also holds more than 100 mosques and some 6,000 houses, which gives a sense of how densely the historic centre was built.
Much of the appeal lies in the streets themselves. The old city is laid out as a labyrinth of narrow alleyways and souks, where the scale of the buildings often feels close and enclosed. Walking slowly, looking up at the decorated facades and the stacked upper floors, is the best way to take in the place.
Planning your visit
- Allow time to wander without a fixed route, since the alleys are easy to lose track of.
- Look up as well as ahead, as the decorative detail is concentrated on the upper storeys.
- Give the mosques and souks their own pause, as they are central to the rhythm of the old quarter.
Because the site is a heritage area and a working urban district, a visit is best approached as an exploration of an historic city rather than a quick look at a monument. It suits travellers interested in architecture, urban history and the everyday life of an old Arabian city.