Sa’ada: city of unique fortresses and castles [Archives:2006/931/Last Page]
Saddam Al-Ashmori
Founded by Imam Al-Hadi Yahya Bin Hussein in Hijra 284, the city of Sa'ada lies 250km north of Sana'a. Sa'ada originated in the southern part of the current city and then stretched from Talamus Mountain to Adhfar Mountain in the east.
Sa'ada fortresses and castles
Sa'ada is distinguished by its ancient mud brick fortresses and castles giving it a unique architecture. Built in Hijra 284, Al-Sanarah Fortress is the most important and has been used as a headquarters for ruling, as well as storing grain owned by the ruling Al Hamid Ad-Din dynasty until the revolution. The government destroyed two fortresses named Al-Sam'e and Ghamar and built a government complex instead.
Al-Ubala, Talamus and Al-Aqili are the city's most important castles. Sa'ada is distinguished by its terrain, which includes desert areas, hills and valleys in the eastern and northern parts of the city, while a steep mountain range surrounds it from the west. Fortresses inhabited by ancient Himyarite peoples were built atop these mountains.
According to the 2004 General Housing and Population Census, Sa'ada comprises 15 districts populated by 693,217 inhabitants. Approximately 85,190 families inhabiting 82,879 houses live in this province, whose male population constitutes 52 percent of the province's total population.
The first stage in rehabilitating the old Sa'ada wall ended in January. The project's consulting engineer, Yasin Ubadi, further explained what was implemented during this stage. He pointed out that stage two of rehabilitating the 4km-long wall is underway, at a total cost of $300,000 paid by the government.
According to Ubadi, concerned parties still are studying a project to rehabilitate ancient fortresses and castles in Sa'ada – with the main objective of reconstructing the city's heritage – of which parts were destroyed due to natural factors. He mentioned that Sa'ada is rich in fortresses and castles of unique architecture.
Sa'ada valleys
In Sa'ada, one can see numerous valleys with fertile soil, the most important of which are Madhab, Akon, Nishoor, Dammaj, Al-Asalem, Serouh, Al-Nagha'a, Al-Aqiq and Al-Abdah, in addition to the Sa'ada fertile plain. Sa'ada produces different types of wheat including wheat and durra and citrus fruits like lemons and oranges.
Local and foreign tourists used to tour Sa'ada fortresses and castles, but recent events in the city have left negative impacts on tourism. Sa'ada Tourism Office employee Khaled Al-Sefyani said his office is conducting a study to promote tourism in the province. According to Al-Sefyani, the city's recent events had no impact on its historical sites.
A media delegation visited Sa'ada at the beginning of March and viewed some of its historical sites. Al-Wahdah newspaper's Asem Al-Sadah said the city's ancient fortresses and castles surprised him, pointing out that the province's tourist sector needs reviving to improve Yemen's economy, particularly since Sa'ada is rich in unique fortresses and castles.
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