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SANA'A:
SANA'A is the capital of Yemen, its origins lost
in the mists of time. It was first a staging post on the
"Route of Incense", and then it became an
important citadelle on the road from ADEN to MECCA.
SANA'A can also pride itself on having the first skyscrapers in the world, some of which are more than 1000 years old!
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(the 6 or 7 storey houses are built into the side of the mountain, and look as if they soar up to breathtaking heights).
The walls surrounding the old centre date from the 9th and 10th centuries.
The famous market (the souk) was already in existence in the pre-islamic period, and has changed little since that time.
The grand mosque of SANA'A was built at the time of Prophet
MOHAMED, and is acknowledged today as one of the oldest in the
Islamic world. |
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ADEN:
300,000 habitants. The oldest port in the history. According to the legend, the Arch of Noah was built in ADEN. The importance of the port of ADEN had always been recognized owing to its remarkable situation as the key to the Red Sea. Visit the modern port and the traditional fishermen market.
A wonderful reminder of the antique period are the 18 water cisterns in CRATER, built during the 1st Century by the Hymiarite Kingdom. Visit the Archeological museum, the National Museum and enjoy the golden beaches.
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MAREB:
The old capital of the kingdom of SABA, which reigned over YEMEN for more than eight centuries. The exact date of the town's founding is still unknown, but some inscriptions seem to indicate that it was built in 8th century B.C. The old town of MAREB is a very important commercial and agricultural centre, with its famous dam (the oldest in the world), whose dikes broke in the 2nd century B.C. Traces of this dam can still be seen today. |
