History
Though the legend surrounding the founding of San’a may be disputed by a few boring old scientists and archaeologists, what no-one will doubt is that it’s a very old city.
Inhabited during Sabaean times, it later became the capital of the great Himyarite dynasty in the early 6th century AD. It also served as a power base for two foreign powers: the Abyssinians and the Persians. In the 7th century AD Islam arrived, altering forever the face of the city, as early mosques and minarets rose up to replace the old churches. The city was later expanded under the Ottomans.
After the civil war in the 1960s, San’a experienced a period of rapid growth, doubling in size every four years. Historically, politically and economically, it was the obvious choice for the capital of the reunited Yemen in 1990. Today San’a is the fastest- growing capital city in the world and this is creating a predictable range of social problems.
San’a
Things to do
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