Architecture of Yemen
WARNING: Terrorist threats continue in Yemen,
please read this travel warning before going!
Yemen has no early structures today and much of what is visible
is the result of modern construction. Despite this, the historic styles and building
techniques are still used today and what may appear to be hundreds, if not thousands
of years old in Yemen, many have been completed last year. As a result of this,
nearly all architecture, old and new appears similar and is essentially in the same
style, although there are vast differences within the style and from building to
building depending on each's purpose.
Most buildings in Yemen, in the past and today, are made from
stones, clay, bricks, and mortar. Houses and mosques are the most noticeable structures,
especially in cities, like Sana'a. However there are also numerous walls and
forts in the countryside, often built by the Imams in times of war. Among these,
numerous buildings, and even cities as a whole are built on mountain tops, such
as the city of al Hajjara.