For the Ziyadid dynasty (819-1018), the city of Sana’a represented a launching pad to control all of Yemen, while the Rasulid dynasty (1229-1454)viewed the city as a crucial strategic camp for its soldiers. By the second century BC, Sana’a had become established as a seat of power in the region and went on to be the capital of Yemen’s ancient kingdoms.Ĭonflict between states in the area that became modern-day Yemen broke out during the era of the Abbasid Caliphate (which spanned from roughly 750-1250 AD), and Sana’a was a prize desired by many. Its strategic location, allowing control of trade routes between the kingdom of Sheba, in Marib, and the city of Tihama, on the Red Sea Coast, helped it prosper in the second millennium BC. Sana’a city is situated 2,350 meters above sea level, in a mountain valley at the center of a plateau that extends from the areas of Nuqum, in the east, to Ayban, in the west and from Naqil Yaslah, in the south, to Shibam al-Firas, in the north. UNESCO, however, dates the city’s founding to just a little over 2,500 years ago. Still other sources suggest that Sana’a is a Sheban city, built by Halk Amr, king of Sheba and Dhu Raydan, in the years 140-150 of the Sheban calendar, or 1070-1080 BC. Some say construction of the city itself began with Shem, the son of Noah, although no historical data confirms this narrative. Evidence of early human activity in the area, based on archaeological research, has been dated back 1.6 million years, to the Paleolithic period. The history of the Old City of Sana’a is threaded through with mystery, legends and divergent accounts. Historical Overview of the Old City of Sana’a This article will outline the history of the Old City of Sana’a and the most pressing challenges facing the city, and it will detail the role of the GOPHCY in preserving the city – examining that organization’s current work and its operational challenges.
The GOPHCY is the primary party in charge of preserving Yemen’s historic cities, according to Law No.16 of 2013. These issues present a major challenge to the preservation of the Old City, but they also raise questions about the role of the General Organization for the Preservation of the Historic Cities of Yemen. Heavy rains have recently caused damage to around 1,000 houses, starkly exposing the city’s precarious situation and the extent of the problems in the service sector. Today, this built heritage, and the human history it evinces, face multiple threats. The Old City of Sana’a has been inhabited for over 2,500 years it boasts unique architecture – those distinctive multistory towers with delicate white-trim designs – and UNESCO world heritage status.
0 kommentar(er)
