The Old City of Sana'a - The Old City, is more than 2,000 years old and is one of the oldest remaining cities in the world. One does not need to read that statistic in a book to realize it. Its culture is rich and full of “souks” or old Islamic markets, keep an eye out for them in the slideshows (both night and day). Probably the most interesting thing about the city I discovered was more cultural than physical. In the US, “Qat” would be considered a mild narcotic and therefore illegal, but during the Yemeni siesta, usually 1pm-4pm it is a commonality. Almost every workingman in Yemen chews “Qat”, a leaf or many leaves tucked in one’s cheek that creates a relaxing sensation. It seems to be a terrible drain on the country’s work ethic and certainly not helping development of this 3-world state, but its unique and fascinatingly wide-spread. The Old City was a breeding ground for it.

Click Here for the Old City slideshow.