Historic city of Saada

Historic city of Saada is part of the Tentative list of Yemen in order to qualify for inclusion in the World Heritage List.

The Historic city of Saada is one of the oldest medieval cities in Yemen and the cradle of “Zaidism”, a Shi’a Islamic school of thought founded in the eighth century. The city was constructed in earthen architecture, and includes a 3000-meter wall with multiple watchtowers and gates, a fortress, and several mosques, including the Great Mosque, where early successors of the first Zaidi imam are buried, and a mosque for women. Outside the city is the Zaidi cemetery, the oldest and largest in Yemen; ancient cisterns; rocks engraved with Neolithic carvings of ibex and human figures; and four citadels.