The Secret Cities of Yemen

By Queuebot in Architecture, Travel on Jan 23, 2010 at 3:15 pm

Yemen has been in the news a great deal recently and if the media is to be believed then it is a hotbed of terrorist training camps and munitions trading. However there are many people who could not -if asked- name the capital city of this republic on the Arabian Gulf. What is exceptional about this country though is its unique centuries old architecture which when seen for the first time never fails to astonish.

We will start in the town of Al Hajjara, so little known that even Wikipedia does not have a proper entry on it. Situated at the heart of Yemen in the Al Bayda Governorate of the country, the town boast one of the most simply amazing structures you will ever see. The residence of the Imam Yahya Muhamamd is perched – precariously or so it seems – atop a rocky outcrop. Imam Yahya was famous for stabilizing the north of the country and for his benign attitude towards minorities, particularly Yemenite Jewry.

From the Upcoming ueue, submitted by taliesyn30.

Tags: Arabian Gulf, culture, Yemen

Neat stuff from the NeatoShop:

johannesburg jay
Jan 23rd, 2010 at 9:11 pm
i had to laugh at the “no wikipedia entry” statement….isn’t michael scott the only person in the world that uses wiki?

chandler bing was going to move to yemen once, to get away from janice. his address was 11 yemen road, yemen city, yemen!
Blahblah
Jan 23rd, 2010 at 10:44 pm
So long as Muslim is the dominant force in the area, you can count me out as a tourist. I’m no feminist, but their brand of female opression is just too much for me.
Tim Giachetti
Jan 24th, 2010 at 4:59 am
Why are these articles getting to the main page?

This links to a travel planning site for pure profit.

SPAM
Mitch
Jan 24th, 2010 at 9:44 am
Blahblah, surely there are lots of Muslim ladies who would say that the Western way of parading women as sex objects is just too much for them.
Snarla
Jan 24th, 2010 at 7:22 pm
Thanks for bringing this info to the public’s attention. I shudder at the idea of the US launching bombing raids against Yemen, as if they don’t have enough problems.
Looks how pretty it is! They ought to be raking in tourist dollars.
abu Ode
Feb 4th, 2010 at 7:11 pm
The picture depicts one of the former imam’s palaces, (known popularly as “the house o the rock”. But it is notlocated in the far-off province of Al-Bayda as stated, but rather about 5 kilometers from the capital Sana’a.

Keep track of the comments with

Don't Miss: New Stuff | Bestsellers | The Cute Store
Funny T-Shirts

Need a gift? Get unforgettable gifts for:
Geeks | Pranksters | Kids | Hipsters | Shutterbugs

The latest from NeatoBambino: