Bab al-Yaman

Bab al-Yaman gate

Bab al-Yaman (Arabic: باب اليمن‎), lit. "Gate of the Yemen," is the main gate of Sana's old fortified wall, on the southern extremity of the walled city, its current design built in the 17th century by the Turks.[1] Today, it is the most ornate of the gates of Sana's Old City. Passengers travelling southward, en route to Ma'bar and Dhamar, would depart from this gate.

As one enters the gate, one quickly notices the splendid Yemeni architecture, high towering houses made of baked bricks decorated and waterproofed with lime plaster and qadad, one of the outstanding features of Sana's Old City. Many of the houses make use of decorative windows, designed as fanlights fitted with stained glass, enclosed within muntins of gypsum plaster and lime-coated sash. The Great Mosque of Sana'a is located about 300 yards within Bab al-Yaman. The old city of Sana'a is listed as a UNESCO World Heritage Site due to its unique architectural characteristics, most notably expressed in its multi-storey buildings decorated with geometric patterns.[2]

References

  1. ↑ Carl Rathjens, Landeskundliche Ergebnisse (Geographic Results), vol. 40, Hamburg 1934 (jointly written with Hermann v. Wissmann), pp. 133–154.
  2. ↑ Old City of Sana'a, UNESCO, World Heritage List no. 385

Coordinates: 15°21′04″N 44°12′57″E / 15.3512°N 44.2159°E / 15.3512; 44.2159

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