Yemen - Historic city of Saada

Saada is one of the oldest medieval cities of Yemen, of great importance for its historical, architectural, urban and spiritual value. Saada, founded by Imam AI-Hadi Yaya in the 9th century, became the cradle of "Zaydism", a powerful spiritual school of Muslim thought in Yemen. It thrives, inhabited without interruption in a medieval scheme with an earthen architecture, very characteristic and representative of the whole region; in fact a unique and still alive city of the first Islamic Arab cities. Enclosure of an exceptional 3,000 m long and 4 m wide zabur earth wall, with 52 watchtowers and 16 gates, the most famous of which are Bab al-Yemen and Bab Najzan. The houses and palaces are built of earth and brick on several floors, open at mid-height on a decorated courtyard. Inside the walls, 14 mosques date from the 10th to the 16th century.