Things to see and do Yemen

The old town has over fifty mosques, five of which are covered by domes or domes. The oldest mosques have a roof roof, and it is only with the first Ottoman occupation that the new architectural style was introduced, with its motifs and domes.

The most representative of the Yemeni mosques is probably the Great Mosque of Sana'a. She was built from Mohammed's life and his precise instructions. Some of its elements, such as decorative columns and wooden capitals, came from the cathedral destroyed some years previously and still see crosses on some capitals, other older ones are located in the south gallery and are remnants of the South-arabiques temples. It was enlarged in the th century and a wooden ceiling ceiling was added in the th century, the restoration of which gives rise to splendid colours, some of which would be of sassanide inspiration.

In the th century, it was restored by Queen Aroua, who added the east wing with her painted and carved ceiling. The two minarets were renovated at the end of the th century and the courtyard paved in the th century. The imam Yéhia, in 1936, built the north wing and added to the south a library above the ground level. Soil surveys also show that the first level of the soil must be located at 80 cm below the current level. During repairs, in 1973, the workers were surprised to discover, hidden, in earlier niches hidden by walls of newer stucco, ancient Koranic manuscripts and historical chronicles. It is regrettable that his visit is problematic for non-Muslims, while other countries like Egypt have no problem with everyone wandering through mosques, showing themselves to be discreet and respectful, of course.

Al Talha mosque, located near the Great Mosque, is remarkable by its minaret sitting on a powerful stone base.

Mosques Jana and Madhab, near the silverware souk, share a single-sided minaret with brick-friezes.

The Al Taous Mosque in the Talha area is one of the oldest in Sana'a. She received her name from a Yemeni disciple of Mohammed, Abd Al Rahman Al Taous, who died in 724 in Mecca. It is lit by alabaster windows. A «sabil», a public water tank, was placed against the outer wall of the mosque. Mosques, as a rule, cannot be visited by non-Muslims.

It is a kind of property called "waqf", whose mosques have stewardship: these are the gifts that believers have made to God and which, therefore, are inalienable.

Among these very diverse properties are vegetable gardens and orchards, whose products are sold in the souk or in the neighbourhood. The old town still has forty-nine different gardens at present. They are no longer left behind: they have been protected by raising walls all around. These gardens are with by wells called "mirnas," whose water is extracted by the action of a slug slug. It is the purpose of a wanderings in the old town to discover all its gardens.

Among the easiest access, you will note the Borom garden, near the south wall and overcoming the Saela, Al Abhar west of Bal Al-Yemen, Al Taqoua on the other side of the Saela, on the path to Tahrir Square.

«Sabils» are water tanks intended to quench the thirst of passers-by. They are in the center of small constructions surmounted by a dome, which some people made to build a charity.

«Steam», or public baths, are often attached to mosques as «waqf» property. They are composed of three to six halls covered by domes. The main basin room, which sometimes includes a fountain, is located at the ground level, while the hot room is below, partially buried, and gives access to the very hot room, underground. The heat boiler is placed on the bottom, while the hot and cold water pipes pass into the walls of all the rooms. Boilers operate on oil, but it is not uncommon for worn tires or other waste to be burned. For access to steam, part of the week is reserved for women and the other for men. The Maydan Hammam, built in 1597 by the Ottomans along with the Al Bakiriyyah Mosque, is one of the largest in the city. Its restoration is planned, as well as the replacement of heating fuel oil.

Site of the Anglophone weekly Yemen Times, which is found on the spot, like his colleague, in the paper mills.

Site of the English weekly newspaper Yemen Observer to obtain local information.

Site of the Louvre which has in its section "Department of oriental antiques and Arabia", eight main works from the Yemen and you can admire in Paris in the windows of the museum.

On the website of the Arab World Institute, two presentations from the two exhibitions on Yemen proposed to the public in 1998: " Husky in Yemen "photographs, as well as" Yemen, in the Queen of Saba country ". Furthermore, the heading "Country by Country/Yemen", general information on the country, which would nevertheless deserve a small update.

A database of photographs on Yemen, for a prior journey, far from some usual pictures of beautiful books on the country.

Portal in English on the countries of the Arab world, where information on culture, kitchen and other topics concerning Yemen is found.

Official website of the Yemeni Ministry of Tourism, which remains in its infancy.

Site of the Maison du Yemen, located at 30 rue Pradieu in the th arrondissement in Paris.

Website of the French Ministry of Foreign Affairs, which is required to consult the «Travel Advice» section, for a state of the country's situation when leaving.

Summary documentation.

Site of the French Centre for Archaeology and Social Sciences in Sana'a, research institute funded by French foreign affairs and the CNRS. There is an online document on contemporary Yemen with "Yemeni Chronicles" and you can order the latest scholarly works or the general public on the country.

This is the only mosque that can be visited. It was built in two stages. From 1295 to 1297, Ashraf I built the prayer room, which is covered by a large dome surrounded by eight smaller domes, with two minarets. The interior domes are finely decorated and painted. The walls are decorated with ciselé stucco. The yard, in the back, is embellished with abeilles patterns. Ashraf II (1376-1400) added the external gallery, closed by a very beautiful portal that still exists. The courtyard contains the graves of these two kings. It was Imam Ahmed who, in an impulse of austerity, made stucco and ceiling brush. The restoration of interior decorations has just finished. The visitor can photograph them from the door of the prayer room. Climbing over the mosque is no longer allowed. The graves of the wife and the children of the founder of the old mosque are in the courtyard of aux whose geometric construction is very interesting. The plush, beautifully painted domes prayer room. Today madrasas still exists. It has many architectural similarities with the mosques of the city of City, in the Tihama.

It presents beautiful collections of illuminated old Korans and old weapons. It also focuses on the idea of rebuilding the traditions of the time, such as customs, objects and clothing.

You get to the Great mosque and the souk through the wadi. The Grande Mosque, built in 1088, has two domes and two more late minarets. The main entrance, at the top of a majestic staircase, is made by a very old door with two panels. An open gallery bypasses the mosque, gives access to the room of? and ends with an entrance to the souk. Basically, coming from a small Koranic school adjacent to the mosque, children can be heard recite verses of the Koran. Inside the prayer room, left of the mihrab, you can find the mausoleum of Queen Aroua (she is the only woman to have been buried in a prayer room). The style of the whole, as well as the rich interior decorations of the mosque, are fatimide inspired.

Dhar Al (, the palace of the Rock, the most famous monument of Yemen, is 15 km north of the town of Sana'a. It was built around 1930 by order of the Imam Yéhia who made it one of his summer residences. The imam was very jealous and as soon as one of his servants exceeded the age of 15, he was immediately returned. The-storey palace sits atop a rock overlooking the bottom of the wadi. The renovated interior (all walls are limed) includes rooms and mafraj of all sizes, secret passages, garde, a attic allowing for three months autonomy, a deep well of 130 m…

There are double qamareyas and stained glass windows with contrasting colours two to two, reflecting a third colour on the white walls of each room. The terraces offer a magnificent view of the orchards and qat of the wadi. The well in the palace feeds a small pond with a fountain, facing the large mafraj which is separated from the main building. This concept of a separate house of the house was introduced by the Ottomans in the th century.

Next to the palace is a small boutique of silver jewelry and traditional objects. Not far from the mosque is still a hammam in perfect condition. The village of the Wadi is charming, surrounded by old trees. The trail that crosses the hamlet leads to an interesting point of view on the back of the palace. A half-hour walk leads to the village of Al Gabel, which presents a beautiful sanaani architecture. There is an astonishing round nobla, with a square mafraj. There is a splendid panorama from the cliff overlooking the entire Wadi. On Friday morning, this cliff is the place where Yéménites De celebrate marriages: preceded by a group of doshan, arc battant drums, the groom and his male guests go into procession to dance the bara and make pétarader kalashnikovs and revolvers.

Located above the Ta, the location offers an amazing panorama of the city and it is a pleasure to spend a moment in its French gardens. Being placed against the ancient ramparts, it is easy to follow the ancient construction visually and to have a more concrete idea of the layout of the city and its old neighborhoods. The site is open to the public and is still under restoration, which is why it is not yet fully that. Note the presence of many couples in love walks, the place being indeed rather romantic.

It is large and very well maintained, situated in a beautiful green setting. Beautiful greenhouses are home to many bird species such as vultures and eagles. . and storks can also be seen. The animals do not have very large spaces to evolve, which is even more surprising on the side of the fauverie where lions, lions, lions and other cats will be delighted with your visit breaking the boredom… You may even have the chance to caresser a baby… There are also different species of wild cats and, we need to know, domestic cats, and monkeys.

5 minutes from Mahouit, an asphalt road has just been completed and leads directly to this impressive cliff. From its summit, the panorama of the immense Laha Wadi Venant from Jabal Naswar Hajja is of breathtaking beauty. Mandatory detour.

The Military Museum of Sana'a is not only the weapons and memories of the civil wars that rocked the country, but also archaeological parts that would find a better place at the National Museum. See to kill an hour.