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March 18, 2002

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Sana'a rewards visitors with unique architectural style. We explored the old, walled town centre - the oldest completely preserved medina in the Arab world. We walked for a long time without seeing a Western style building. Sana'a preserves 1000 years of tradition. Takhrim windows, elaborate lattices of round and angular shapes, each window filled with alabaster or colored glass, decorate tower houses that are five to eight stories high. The houses compete for attention using elaborate friezes made from white gypsum. They showcase many old Yemeni styles, a blend found only in Sana'a.
Sana'a is our favorite city in the world for architecture and atmosphere.
Circular and arched windows consist of plaster and colored glass fretwork called takhrim. Each house decoration is unique
Entrance to old town, it's a gate to Arabia's past.
The men, young and old, maintain Yemen tradition by wearing turbans, ankle-length frocks, and Yemeni daggers called jambiyas. The suit jackets are for 20th century style.