Old City of Sana'a

Old City of Sana'a, Yemen: a UNESCO World Heritage medina of thousand-year-old tower houses decorated with white gypsum friezes, unlike any other cityscape on Earth. Check current travel advisories before visiting.

The multi-story tower houses, some over 400 years old, are built of rammed earth and burnt brick with intricate latticed windows called qamariya. The Bab al-Yaman gate and the sprawling Souk al-Milh (Salt Market) anchor the old quarter, though ongoing conflict has made independent travel to Yemen extremely difficult, this entry preserves the destination's cultural significance for research and future travel planning.