The old city of Sanaa in Yemen

There are places and sites that we would like to visit but cannot. Either they have disappeared due to the madness of men or the whims of nature or, very often, their access is no longer really possible because they are now in a war zone or in a region totally unsuitable for tourism. That doesn’t mean it’s completely closed or that things there will remain irreversible forever, but still.

Today I am heading towards a country at war; almost again and always, one might say. This Yemen who however, at a certain point, had managed to find an audience who liked to travel off the beaten track, towards destinations rich in history.

Unesco heritage largely in danger

Built in a valley in the heart of the mountains, at 2,200 meters above sea level, Sanaa (or Sana’a) is the largest city and capital of Yemen. A city whose first traces date back to more than three millennia ago and which is recognized in itself as an artistic and architectural masterpiece thanks to this immense religious, cultural and political heritage that makes the city unique.

To the point of having it included as a UNESCO world heritage site in 1986… but also then, unfortunately, on the same UNESCO list of assets in danger since 2015. This is due to the civil war, the last one, which began in 2014 it drags on without visibly much hope of solutions.

Yet if there is a place that takes us back in time, until we perhaps find ourselves in the era of Arabian NightsScheherazade, Aladdin and his wonderful lamp, this is truly the old city of Sanaa!

Its access is via several doors scattered along its partly preserved walls. Inside there are markets and souks selling all kinds of goods. And above all, what makes it interesting, these hundreds of mosques, these hammams, these caravanserais and these 6,500 houses and buildings dating back to before the 11th centuryAnd century that were listed there. With these minarets or these multi-storey “tower houses” made of rammed earth and fired bricks which are there to further increase the beauty of the site and its atmosphere like no other. Especially since here the ocher and white tone of the houses also blends with the color of the surrounding mountains.

Why another war in Yemen?

We hear about it from time to time, especially in the last few months with these Houthi rebels attacking ships sailing in the Red Sea or sending missiles towards Israel. But the current war in Yemen is ultimately part of a long series of complex and multifaceted conflicts, with deep historical and political roots that go back a long time.

Here, as often in the region, we are faced with this eternal rivalry between Shiite Islam and Sunni Islam, or more simply between Saudi Arabia (Sunni) and Iran (Shiite) which supports the Houthis.
The latter, traditionally based in the north of the country, after having taken advantage of a change of power in the country to take over the capital Sanaa in 2014, would have triggered the intervention, a year later, of an Arab coalition led by Saudi Arabia to support the Yemeni government attacked by rebels.

Almost ten years later, nothing has really changed, with one of the worst humanitarian crises the region has ever experienced, with the destruction of numerous civilian infrastructures and serious violations of international humanitarian law. And, despite numerous peace initiatives, this situation in Yemen is likely to last a long time.

Leave a Comment