Sana’a, the capital of Yemen, is one of the oldest cities in the world. The Old City of Sana’a was inscribed on the UNESCO World Heritage List in 1986. UNESCO notes that the city sits in a mountain valley at 2,200 meters and has been inhabited for more than 2,500 years.
The Old City holds 103 mosques, 14 hammams, and more than 6,000 houses built before the 11th century, with tower houses of rammed earth and burnt brick rising several stories. The Great Mosque of Sana’a is said, by tradition, to have been built while the Prophet Muhammad was still alive.
Beyond Sana’a, the Landmarks of the Ancient Kingdom of Saba at Marib were inscribed as a World Heritage site in 2023. Marib was the capital of the Sabaean kingdom, possibly the Sheba of biblical fame, and the Marib Dam fed irrigation that supported the region for more than a thousand years. The historic town of Zabid, inscribed in 1993, was a noted center of Islamic learning. The Socotra Archipelago, inscribed in 2008, is known for its endemic species.
Yemen’s heritage is at risk from the ongoing conflict. Airstrikes damaged parts of the Old City of Sana’a in 2015, and UNESCO launched an emergency plan to safeguard the country’s heritage sites. Archaeology students should follow UNESCO and established research institutions, and treat travel to conflict zones with great caution.
Compare archaeology study options through our articles on Mediterranean archaeology in Tunisia, Nile Valley archaeology in Sudan, and Mesopotamian archaeology in Iraq, plus Yemeni strategies for higher education success.
