Sanaa

Overview

Sanaa lies high in the northern highlands of Yemen and is among the oldest continuously inhabited cities of Arabia. The classical geographers praise its buildings, climate and antiquity, and Yemeni tradition ties its foundation to the earliest ages.

History

Sanaa was a royal city of pre-Islamic Yemen — the palace of Ghumdan stood there — and remained the principal city of the highlands throughout Islamic history. The surrounding country is the homeland of the great Hamdan confederation.