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Address: Bir al-Azab Disrtict, entrance of Old City, Sana'a Another open-air market, much smaller than the main Souq, but with almost the same atmosphere. Come here for really cheap meat and poultry products, green groceries, and spices. Bargaining can be ridiculously unbelievable, especially if you bring along a local friend. Do carry cash, preferably in YER, as most stalls do not accept foreign currency.
Address: Bir al-Azab Disrtict, entrance of Old City, Sana'a Another open-air market, much smaller than the main Souq, but with almost the same atmosphere. Come here for really cheap meat and poultry products, green groceries, and spices. Bargaining can be ridiculously unbelievable, especially if you bring along a local friend. Do carry cash, preferably in YER, as most stalls do not accept foreign currency.
Keep exploring Sanaa.
sanaa
sanaaAddress: Algeria Street, opposite Yemen Mall Phone: + 967 1 44 2000 Fax: + 967 1 44 79 09 Email: [email protected] Website: happyland-ye.com
sanaaAddress: Da'iry Street (Ring Road), near the Hadda Street intersection Phone: +967 144 8364
sanaaAddress: Hadda Street Shumaila Hari is a convenient departmental store that has everything from electronics to eatables, to very traditional handicrafts. It is modern and stylish, spread onto two floors, with shops categorized according to the products they sell. The topmost floor has a variety of boutiques and garment outlets, including children’s clothing, along with stores selling shoes and fashion accessories, bed sheets and blankets, and interior décor and home furniture. The first floor is a family-oriented shopping experience, where you can find clothes and other items of everyday domestic use. A special mention is a tailor’s shop that specializes in women’s apparel, hijab, abayahs and veils.
sanaaAddress: Zuberi Street Al-Huda is a relatively small but well-stocked supermarket, very popular amongst the locals, and almost always crowded. You can buy electronic household appliances, including refrigerators, ovens, stoves, hair dryers, and the like. Eatables like cheese, confectionery, cereals, nuts and canned/tinned food are also available here. Many of the goods in the eatables section are packaged under the Supermarket’s own brand name, which gives an assurance of quality.
sanaaAddress: Bab al-Shariah A moderately priced shopping mall that specializes in women’s garments – scarves, shawls, pashminas (traditional muffler scarves, great as gifts to take back home), and a variety of abayahs and burqahs. Women can shop at ease here as the shopkeepers themselves are mostly women.
sanaaAddress: Hadda Street, up from Shumaila Hari This is the place to stack up on bakery supplies. Managed by the owners of the Jundool Bakery on Zuberi Street, the supermarket offers a charming variety of local breads, cheese and butter. Also present are a café and a kiosk selling local juices/shakes.
sanaaAddress: Old Sana'a According to the locals, this place is the oldest actual “mall” that was erected in Sana'a. Very simple, with basic amenities, kind of like a large inexpensive supermarket. Popular among the locals because of its low prices. Offers a somewhat limited range of garments, but is quite well-stocked on groceries and bakery supplies.
sanaaAddress: Old City, Sana'a A large open-air flea market, the Souq is offers not only a genuinely Middle Eastern shopping extravaganza, but also a peek into what Yemeni culture is all about. Early morning haggling, groups of children running wild, women in burqahs exclaiming at pricey items, and smiling vendors offering cups of tea to every customer (do grab a cup or two, as you will hardly find any actual tea stalls in all the market).
sanaaA jambiya is a curved dagger that is carried around by most local men. It is usually for display only and not normally used as a weapon or even a tool. Intricately carved, splendidly designed varieties are available at major souvenir stalls spread around the locals Souqs. Or you could head to Azal City, an exclusive souvenir shop close to the Dawud Mosque in old Sana'a. Azal City also offers local postcards, jewelry, ceramics, and homemade handicrafts at quite modest prices. Jambiyas come with a sheath and an attached belt to tie to the waist. You can get them either with your jambiya, or separately from any other stall around town.
Keep exploring Sanaa.
sanaaSana'a is not really much of an amusement for children, unless your six year old has a hereditary interest in anthropology or history. Yemeni children have few activities besides running about in streets populated by men with daggers – not much of a concern for the mothers, as there are no kidnappers or pedophiles around. It is pretty common to see a swarm of kids rolling along a street or public square, chasing anything from a stray dog to a worn-out tire – this in itself provides ample entertainment for a group of toddlers accompanying you.
sanaaThe neighborhood contains multistoried residential buildings, some of which have been standing for more than four centuries. Constructed out of local basalt stone and ornamented with intricately carved friezes and moldings, the facades of these houses form a continuous, harmonious urban fabric that can, when viewed at a distance, generate a splendid skyline as a backdrop for the modern city, and, when viewed up close, give a nostalgic but welcoming feeling that leaves many a traveler spellbound.
sanaaThe seven centuries old, 40 feet high mud wall that goes around the old city is also quite well-preserved, and is a sight in itself. It contains the Bab-al-Yemen, a large portal that celebrates the entrance into the old city. Out of the original six gates that marked the entry into Sana'a, it is the only one surviving in its original shape. Slip into a time warp as you pass through the large gate, being sucked into a busy marketplace that has existed at the very same place for centuries. You can go up to the top of the gate for some splendid views around the marketplace below, and the old town beyond. As trading activities cease around late evening, soft, hazy illumination lights up the gate, adding a visually alluring touch of magic to it.
sanaaThis is the small art gallery/museum that is situated, as the name suggests, right next to the Bab-al-Yemen. It allows passage from the street to the top of the Bab. Although you may just pass the gallery simply to get to the top of the gate to shoot a few photos, the gallery in itself isn’t such a disappointing sight either. It contains artistic work by up-and-coming artists, most of them young, energetic folk from around Sana'a, at quite affordable rates.
sanaaFor a city with a shortage of public water supply, the old city area is pretty rich in horticulture. Almost every house has an attached courtyard garden, and scattered about the streets are hedges blossoming with colors more varied than those on a Photoshop palette. Larger gardens are situated close to mosques, as water is easier to come by. Some gardens are situated below the street, to catch any water that is draining off. Rooftop gardens, more of a private retreat, are also visible from the ground – you can see overhanging vines, multicolored plant pots, and tamed birds prancing about.
sanaaThe best preserved relic of a thousand years of Islamic rule, this is the richest marketplace in all the Arabian Peninsula. It is a large, open-air market, covered in patches by plastic, fabrics, wooden planks, hides, and any other material that the locals could find, giving a literal manifestation to the symbolic merging of cultures and ethnicities within the city. Divided into sections according to the types of goods on sale, including eatables, wearables, disposables, and the like. The marketplace is very active all through the morning, but mellows down towards the late afternoon, when the hawkers resort to qat and tea sessions. This is the ideal moment to strike up ridiculous bargains – vendors, in their laidback mood, usually comply.
sanaaBathhouses that are remnants of Turkish Ottoman legacy. Old Sana'a contains more than a dozen hammams, of which the Hammam al Maidan is the most popular among locals. It is open till late hours of the night, and contains separate bathing facilities for men and women.
sanaaLocated on Hadda Street, off al-Quds Street in the Old Town, this place is managed by a Franco-Yemeni agency, and organizes concerts, themed plays, educational lectures, cultural exhibitions, and linguistic classes. Visit this gallery/museum/cultural retreat to witness an amazing blend of local and French art in a variety of media.
sanaaA large green space for the public, located close to the Expo Apollo on al-Jazair Road. Splendid landscape, rich variety of flowering shrubs, and shaded sitting areas positioned strategically to give magnificent views, this is the place you would want to retreat to after a long, tiring walk in the Old Town.
sanaaThe main public piazza of the city, this square acts as an intersection between two of Sana'a’s major urban districts. It is consequently lined with eateries and shopping outlets, features a mesmerizing fountain in the center, and is a popular hangout space for residents of the surrounding neighborhoods. In addition, the square also acts as the city’s cultural center – it contains 3 major museums of the country along its peripheries. Friday mornings are very active, as local men take leisure walks around the square, chatting away as time stands still, and vendors put up temporary stalls selling books and eatables. From here you can take a public bus to any part of Sana'a – after you have explored the cultural wealth surrounding the square!
Keep exploring Sanaa.
sanaaCuisine: Moroccan Address: Movenpick Hotel, Berlin Street, Dhahar Hemyer, Sana'a Timings: 6pm to 1145 pm A traditional Moroccan atmosphere awaits you at the Dar Fez Restaurant. This place is ideal for couples and business groups, due to its serene ambience and polite service. The food isn’t that bad either – you will get to experience some of the best authentic Moroccan cuisine outside of Morocco.
sanaaCuisine: American/Greek Address: Hadda Street Illy coffee in the morning, special milkshakes and lemon and mint juices in the afternoon, and a Greek menu all day long. Also available are pizzas, sandwiches, finger snacks, desserts, and soups. Outdoor seating in the evenings. Take-away and delivery options also available. Friendly staff, clean and well-maintained interior. Appropriate for couples.
sanaaCuisine: Chinese Address: Sheraton Hotel, Berlin Street, Sana'a Timings: 7pm to 11pm. Come for the soups and the spicy noodles! Spices added as per your taste. Pleasant interior, with richly colored oriental elements. Nice place for couples.
sanaaCuisine: International Address: Sheraton Hotel, Berlin Street, Sana'a Timings: Saturdays to Thursdays, 6pm to 1am A fascinating rooftop restaurant, open for dinner only. Take in the view of the city at night as you chew on your tasty American and Continental order.
sanaaCuisine: Middle Eastern Address: Hadda Street Phone: +967 1 427888 / 427999 An expensive place, definitely not worth the price. You can get better varieties of the same food at any other Hadda Street diner, at much lower prices. This place has a pretty interior, however, so it may be good for a business meeting. Menu includes Egyptian and Lebanese dishes, and seafood. Some of the soups are also worth tasting.
sanaaCuisine: Coffee/Snacks Cuisine: Hadda Street Small café with a rather scrumptious selection of fast food, finger snacks, and meals on the go. Very well-maintained interior, and an outdoor court for the evening. Ideal for small business get-togethers. A full meal can get expensive, but light snacks and coffee for a small group are quite manageable.
sanaaCuisine: Middle Eastern Address: Amman, Sana’a Good quality, even if not truly authentic, Egyptian and Lebanese food. Also available is a limited grilled menu, and soups and noodles. Outdoor seating available in the evenings. Reservations needed in advance. Good for business travelers.
sanaaCuisine: Fast Food Address: Al- Sabeen Street Phone: +967 1 509876 Fax: + 967 1 508884 Part of the international fast food chain. A variety of burgers, fried chicken, nuggets, and beverages available. Well-maintained interior. Appropriate for families. Take-away and delivery options available.
sanaaCuisine: Indian Address: Baghdad St City Centre, Sana'a This is the only Indian restaurant around the Baghdad Street area. Comparatively low prices, satisfactorily spicy authentic dishes, and a truly Indian ambience, comfy and friendly, from the charming sandalwood fragrances to the waiters’ traditional dresses. A welcoming patio and alluring interior. Polite staff, speaking English and Arabic. A favorite hangout for Indian and Pakistani tourists.
sanaaCuisine: Yemeni Address: Hadda Street, across from Al-Komaim Centre Phone: + 967 1 266375 There are a lot of “Shaibani” restaurants around the city. Shaibani is not a chain, but the name of a region. This particular restaurant, the Super Deluxe, gives you the best Shaibani food at quite an affordable price. It offers traditional Yemeni dishes, like leg of lamb, bread and date, saffron rice, a variety of seafood and grilled food. Pleasant interior, polite staff, quick service. Ask for the English menu for a few good laughs!