🇾🇪 Sana’a｜A Thousand and One Nights Written in Stone

✨ Photo Album No.257: Touching 1,000 Years of Arabia In 2012, I crossed conflict frontlines into Yemen’s Old City of Sana’a—a forgotten "Arabian pearl" that became my most haunting travel memory. 🏰 Old Sana’a: A Myth Carved in Stone ☁️ 2,350m above sea level: This ancient city floats in a spring-like highland basin, where stained-glass windows scatter kaleidoscopic light across mosque domes and stone minarets. 🏙️ The original "skyscrapers": 1,700 years ago, Yemenis built 100m-tall mudbrick towers (like the ruined Ghumdan Palace). Nearby Shibam (the "Manhattan of the Desert") still stands as a UNESCO wonder. 🎨 Living art museum: Every white stone wall is etched with geometric patterns, arched windows glow with colored glass, and bronze mythical beasts guard door knockers—each block whispers Arabian Nights tales. 👑 The Queen of Sheba’s Legacy 🌿 Incense Empire: In 8th century BC, Sana’a was a fortress of the Sabaean Kingdom—home to the legendary Queen of Sheba who traded frankincense for Mediterranean gold. 🕋 Arabia’s ancestral heart: Yemen’s poverty belies its cultural supremacy—every Arab traces roots to these highlands. ⚠️ Survival Guide (2024) ☠️ DANGER: Ongoing conflict! Chinese embassies warn against travel to Sana’a/Saada. 7 Sabaean sites were just added to UNESCO’s Endangered List. 🌐 Virtual alternatives: ✅ Google Earth "Old Sana’a" for tower-labyrinth views ✅ Watch Yemen: Arabia’s Forgotten Kingdom (Sheba documentary) 💎 A Bittersweet Addiction "Stone dies, but stories live forever," said an old man handing me honey-dipped dates near a bombed minaret. Yemen’s beauty is fragmented yet eternal—real travel isn’t about checklists, but touching infinity through ruins. 🏜️ My regret: Missing Socotra Island—likely forever. #YemenInFrame #OffTheMap #WarZoneWonders