Sana'a

Official name	Sana'a
Native name	Ṣan‘ā’
Settlement type
Dot x	|dot_y =
Pushpin map	Yemen
Pushpin label position	bottom
Pushpin map caption	Location in Yemen
Coordinates region	YE
Subdivision type	Country
Subdivision name
Subdivision type1	Governorate
Subdivision name1	San‘a’
Government type	Local
Leader title	Mayor: Abdulrahman al-Akwaa
Leader name	Numan Dowaid
Leader title1
Established title
Established title2
Established title3
Established date3	1167
Unit pref	Imperial
Area total km2
Area land km2
Area water percent	1.7%
Population as of	2004
Population total	1747627
Population metro	2,167,961
Population blank1 title	Ethnicities
Population blank2 title	Religions
Timezone	GMT+3
Elevation footnotes
Elevation m	2250
Postal code type

Sana'a ( ), also spelt Sanaa, is the capital of Yemen and the centre of San‘a’ Governorate; however the city itself is not part of the Governorate, but forms the separate administrative district of "Amanat Al-Asemah".

Sana'a is one of the oldest continuously inhabited cities in the world. At an altitude of , it is also one of the highest capital cities in the world. Sana'a has a population of approximately 1,748,000 (2010) making it Yemen's largest city. The old city of Sana'a, a UNESCO World Heritage Site, has a distinctive visual character due its unique architectural characteristics, most notably expressed in its multi-story buildings decorated with geometric patterns.

History

Sana'a is one of the oldest populated places in the world. According to popular legend it was founded by Shem, the son of Noah, but this claim is dubious, however. It was known as "Azal" in ancient times, referring to Uzal, a son of Qahtan who was a great-grandson of Shem. Its current name likely derived from the South Arabian word for "well-fortified." Arab historian al-Hamdani wrote that Sana'a was walled by the Sabeans under their ruler Sha'r Awtar who also built the Ghumdan Palace in the city. Because of its location, Sana'a has served as an urban center for the surrounding tribes of the region and as a nucleus of regional trade in southern Arabia. It was positioned at the crossroad of two major ancient trade routes linking Marib in the east to the Red Sea in the west.

Name	Old City of Sana'a
Infoboxwidth	240px
State party	Yemen
Type	Historic, Cultural
Criteria	IV, V, VI
Id	385
Region	Arab States
Year	1986
Link	http://whc.unesco.org/en/list/385

Districts

Al Wahdah District

As Sabain District

Assafi'yah District

At Tahrir District

Ath'thaorah District

Az'zal District

Bani Al Harith District

Ma'ain District

Old City District

Shu'aub District

Main sights and culture

Old City

The old fortified city has been inhabited for more than 2,500 years and contains a wealth of intact architectural gems. It was declared a World Heritage Site by the United Nations in 1986. Efforts are underway to preserve some of the oldest buildings, some of which, such the Samsarh and the old Mosque, are more than 1400 years old. Surrounded by ancient clay walls which stand high, the old city contains more than 100 mosques, 12 hammams (baths) and 6,500 houses. Many of the houses resemble ancient skyscrapers, reaching several storeys high and topped with flat roofs. They are decorated with elaborate friezes and intricately carved frames and stained-glass windows.

One of the most popular attractions is Suq al-Milh (Salt Market), where it is possible to buy not only salt but also bread, spices, raisins, cotton, copper, pottery, silverware, and antiques (both fake and real). The majestic 7th-century Jami' al-Kabir (Great Mosque) is one of the oldest in the Muslim world. The Bāb al-Yaman (Yemen Gate) is an iconized entry point through the city walls and is more than 1000 years old.

A commercial area of the old city is Al Madina, where development is proceeding rapidly. In addition to three large hotels, there are numerous stores and restaurants. The area also contains three parks and the President's palace.

Arab Cultural Capital

Sana'a was designated as the Arab Cultural Capital for the year of 2004.

Demographic evolution

{| | valign="top" | | valign="top" | {|class="wikitable" ! Year || Population |- | 1975 || align="right" | 134,600 |- | 1981 || align="right" | 280,000 |- | 1986 || align="right" | 427,505 |- | 1994 || align="right" | 954,448 |- | 2001 || align="right" | 1,590,624 |-it has a football stadium in it | 2005 || align="right" | 1,937,451 |} |} Sana'a is the fastest growing capital city in the world with a growth rate of 7%, while the growth rate of the nation as a whole is 3.2%. If the current rate is maintained, the population of Sana'a will double in ten years. The majority of this increase is due to rural to urban migration for employment.

Economy

As the capital city of Yemen, 40% of jobs in Sana'a are in the public sector. Other primary sources of formal employment in the city are trade and industry. Like many other cities in the developing world, Sana'a has a large informal sector which is estimated to constitute 32% of nongovernmental employment. However, while there are a greater variety of jobs in Sana'a as compared to other cities in Yemen, there is also greater poverty and unemployment. It is estimated that 25% of the labor force in Sana'a is unemployed.

Transport

Yemenia, the national airline of Yemen, has its head office in Sana'a. Sana'a International Airport is Yemen's main domestic and international airport. There is currently no rail network but there are plans to install one in the future. A primary means of transport in the city is via dababs, minibuses which carry about 10 people. Taxis are also a very common form of public transport and there are coaches to major cities such as Aden and Taiz.

Quotes and impressions

"" (Sana'a must be seen) are famous words first attributed to (768-820) who visited the ancient capital several times.

Many travellers in ancient days were impressed by the beauty of Sana'a. The well-known Yemeni geographer and historian al Hamdani marveled at the cleanliness of the city:

The Persian traveller Ibn Rustah, a contemporary of al-Hamdani, noted its food:

in the Wādī Ẓahr () near Sana'a]]

The British writer Jonathan Raban devotes a chapter of his 1979 book, 'Arabia Through the Looking Glass' to Sana'a. He initially found the city disorienting:

Later, as he became more familiar with the place, and had made more acquaintances with its residents, he becomes admiring. In one striking sequence where he is invited onto the roof of somebody's home, the cityscape is revealed to him in a different way:

Climate

Sana'a features the very rare mild version of a desert climate. Sana'a sees on average approximately 200 mm of precipitation per year. However, due to its high elevation, temperatures are much more moderate than many other cities on the Arabian Peninsula. In fact, average temperatures remain relatively constant throughout the year in Sana'a, with its coldest month being January and its warmest month in July. The city seldom experiences extreme heat or cold. However, some areas around the city can see temperatures fall to around 15 or 20 degrees Fahrenheit during winter. Frost usually occurs in the early winter mornings, and there is a slight wind chill in the city that causes the cold mornings to be oddly bitter. The Sun warms the city to the 60s during the noontime but it drops drastically as night falls in. Sana'a receives half of its annual rainfall during the months of July and August. Rainfall comes depending on the year; some years could see 500–600 mm of rainfall, while others can barely get 150 mm. High temperatures have increased slightly during the summer over the past few years, however, low temperatures and winter temperatures have dramatically fallen over the same period

Sport

The city is home to the Ali Muhesen Stadium, home of the Yemen national football team, and is mostly used for football and cricket matches. The stadium holds 25,000 people.

Although Yemen was the host nation of the Gulf Cup of Nations in 2010, Sana'a was not a host city. The games were held rather in the Aden and Abyan governates.

See also

Mahwa Aser

Al Khair Mosque

Sana'a manuscripts – fragments from over 1000 early Qur'an codices, discovered at the Great Mosque in Sana'a in 1972.

Saleh Mosque

2011 Yemeni protests

References

External links

"The Old Walled City of San`a", 113 page book by Ronald Lewcock for Unesco

"Sana'a - City of lights. The German-French Cultural Project 2007. Weblog"

Eric Hansen, Sana'a rising, Saudi Aramco World, 2006. Vol. 57 No. 1

Tim Mackintosh-Smith, The Secret Gardens of Sana'a. Saudi Aramco World, 2006 Vol. 57 No. 1

Traditional housing in the old quarter of Sanaa in 1972

Category:San‘a’ Governorate Category:Populated places in the San‘a’ Governorate Category:Capitals in Asia Category:Populated places in Yemen Category:World Heritage Sites in Yemen Category:Red Sea Category:Aga Khan Award for Architecture winners Category:Archaeological sites in Yemen