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.