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Sanaa
Capital and largest city of Yemen

Sanaa

Sanaa, officially the Sanaa Municipality, is the capital and largest city of Yemen.

Plan a trip to Sanaa→From Aden

The city is the capital of the Sanaa Governorate, but is not part of the governorate, as it forms a separate administrative unit. At an elevation of 2,300 metres (7,500 ft), Sanaa is the seventh highest capital city in the world and is situated between the Sarawat Mountains of Jabal An-Nabi Shu'ayb and Jabal Tiyal, considered the highest mountains in the Arabian Peninsula and one of the highest in the Middle East.

Get in

Getting to Sanaa

Sana'a International Airport is the city's international airport. As of November 2023, there are daily commercial flights between Amman and Sana’a operated by Yemenia, the country’s national carrier. Yemen has a few bus companies. Sana'a is connected by all major cities (Aden, Ta'izz, Marib, Sayun, etc.) via bus. Perhaps the best bus company in Yemen is the new-ish Raha (established in 2008).

See

Worth seeing

The Old City of Sana'a is World Heritage Listed and makes a great place to see the uniquely Yemeni style of architecture - multiple-storey tower houses with the distinctive qamariya windows. Within the Old City is the Souk al-Milh, arguably the best souk (marketplace) in the Arabian Peninsula.

  1. 01
    Bab

    One of the city's most important landmarks, it is the gate leading into the Old City, which is surrounded by ancient walls.

  2. 02
    National Museum of Yemen

    The museum is located in a former palace that was restored and converted into a museum.

  3. 03
    Military Museum

    Displays artifacts related to the Yemeni military.

  4. 04
    Wadi Dhahr

    A valley a few kilometres outside of Sana'a with green fields, villages, and the face Rock Palace of an Imam of Yemen.

  5. 05
    Al Saleh Mosque

    Located near the heavily-guarded Presidential Palace, it is one of the largest mosques in the world.

Do

Things to do

Sana'a is a great place for people-watching and culture observing. The unhurried pace of Yemeni life, coupled with the almost total lack of industrialisation seen in nearby countries, means that it's quite possible to sit in a coffee shop and watch the world go by for hours on end. If you want an experience you can only get in Yemen (and are prepared to risk your health): participate in a qat session.

Eat

Where to eat

Visitors should be careful when eating from street stands as the same warning which applies to tap water applies to poorly-prepared food. Salta is a popular Yemeni lunch dish that is served very hot. Nearly all Yemeni food is budget. An average meal at a Sana'a restaurant will cost less than US$2. Chicken is ubiquitous. A tuna steak served with rice costs 150-200 riyals.

  1. 01
    Al Shamiri Plaza
  2. 02
    Merkato Ethiopian Food
  3. 03
    Al-Hamra

    Popular fast food place.

  4. 04
    Pizza Hut

    Sabeen Street.

  5. 05
    KFC

    Hadda Road.

Text adapted from Wikipedia and Wikivoyage, CC BY-SA 4.0. Photograph: Wikimedia Commons (see file page), Wikimedia Commons.