[muppet]

ok ok I know its not THE worlds, but close to it. Watch all 3 videos , comment and argue but above all, enjoy. I didnt know places like this still existed (and for how long?). These cities are up to 2000 years old, the buildings are 500-700 years old:

Thanks to Cityboi for the links. The second one is unreal I nearly wet myself:

9iaR2XkeD_c

vugTs9iH7xI

7DN1xPnL2Gs

[muppet]

more pix of Sana'a. These highrises are up to 700 years old, a sea of ancient buildings. The city houses 1,750,000:

The ancient gate into the labyrinth of the Old City, cars must be left outside:
http://www.al-bab.com/yet/pictures/pix/37.jpg http://www.wayfaring.info/wp-content/uploads/2007/02/sanaaa1.jpg
http://www.saudiaramcoworld.com/issue/200601/images/rising/SANA_RISING_9_57320.jpg http://p.vtourist.com/2898107-THE_OLD_CITY-Sanaa.jpg

http://www.ict-edu.nl/site_images/content_images/icte_images/Sana'a_city_001.jpg

http://www.bgr.bund.de/DE/Themen/TZ/Bilder/LaenderRegionen__Jemen__g,property=default.jpg

http://p.vtourist.com/2898107-THE_OLD_CITY-Sanaa.jpg http://p.vtourist.com/3331688-Houses_in_Sanaa-Sanaa.jpg

the sprawl, medieval style
http://www.graveerror.net/wp-content/uploads/2007/05/sanaa1.jpg http://www.medea.be/pics/sanaa1.gif

http://farm1.static.flickr.com/180/439493903_e3cc6eafe5_o.jpg http://www3.nationalgeographic.com/places/images/photos/photo_lg_yemen.jpg

http://www.galenfrysinger.com/Photos/sana02.jpg http://web.mit.edu/akpia/www/AKPsite/4.239/sanaa/Figa.jpg

hundreds of minarets spike the city:
http://www.ceistorvergata.it/public/files/mesci/Yemen%20-%20the%20minaret.JPG

streetscenes and people:


http://www.traveljournals.net/pictures/l/1/14627-babal-yemen-sana-yemen.jpg http://www.commondreams.org/headlines05/images/0721-01.jpg

http://static.flickr.com/27/41462454_4ecf3fdee2.jpg http://www.netribution.co.uk/cc/main.php?g2_view=core.DownloadItem&g2_itemId=2075&g2_serialNumber=1

http://www.neareast.org/main/news/upload/up425.jpg http://nabataea.net/Yemen89.jpg

http://discovermagazine.com/2006/apr/yemeni-palace/yemeni56-full.jpg

a traditional marriage
http://bbsnews.net/bbsn_photos/topics/Middle-East/IRIN_2005770.sized.jpg

[muppet]

Shibam is located in the deserts of Yemen. These mud-brick "skyscrapers" are more than 500 years old. Thanx again to cityboi for the pix

http://www.yemenonline.info/images/news/shibam2.jpg
http://farm2.static.flickr.com/1064/1251573061_2defed366b.jpg
http://www.picturescolourlibrary.co.uk/loreswithlogo/6124601.jpg
http://www.geocities.com/iren_knehtl/images/shibam.gif

http://www.gemm.nl/webgemms/Shibam.jpg

http://cache.eb.com/eb/image?id=5784&rendTypeId=4

http://luciensteil.tripod.com/sitebuildercontent/sitebuilderpictures/yemencity350.jpg

http://www.yemenmirror.com/mimages/Shibam.jpg

http://www.instablogsimages.com/images/2007/08/29/worlds-first-skyscrapers23_1822.jpg
http://www.instablogsimages.com/images/2007/08/29/worlds-first-skyscrapers1_1822.jpg

http://farm1.static.flickr.com/133/357751977_70cbb4b3e5.jpg

[MolsonExport]

Wow, super interesting photos! I'd love to visit someday.

[ColDayMan]

Incredible.

[Tom In Chicago]

Yeah. . . this is on my list of places to visit perhaps even as early as next year (if I make it to Dubai then certainly will extend my visit to Yemen). . .

What's interesting is that this clan of people are known throughout the Middle East as builders. . . construction is in their blood. . . perhaps not surprisingly the same clan that the bin-Laden family stems from. . . they moved from Yemen to Saudi Arabia and made vast fortunes in the construction and development within the Kingdom and are still building today. . .

[Jesus in a Geo]

As incredibly and even dream-like as these cities are, I would be very leery towards traveling to Yemen. It is currently one of the handful of countries that is on the state department's travel warning list. The wording is somewhat ominous.

"The Department of State continues to strongly urge U.S. citizens to consider carefully the risks of traveling to Yemen. The security threat level remains high due to terrorist activities in Yemen, and U.S. citizens in Yemen should exercise caution and take prudent measures to maintain their security: maintain a high level of vigilance, avoid crowds and demonstrations, keep a low profile, vary times and routes for all travel, and ensure travel documents are current. The U.S. Embassy in Sanaa advises American citizens in Yemen to exercise particular caution at locations frequented by foreigners countrywide and at restaurants and hotels frequented by expatriates. Americans who believe they are being followed or threatened while driving in urban centers should proceed as quickly as possible to the nearest police station or major intersection and request assistance from the officers in the blue-and-white police cars." stationed there.

That siad, I don't mean to be a Debby Downer. Those places are just unreal. Hopefully one day Yemen will become a little more stable.

[FerrariEnzo]

Wow.

[shane453]

Very impressive for such old architecture! The second one looks just like Minas Tirith...

[Tom In Chicago]

As incredibly and even dream-like as these cities are, I would be very leery towards traveling to Yemen.

I never listen to State Department travel warnings. . . they're almost always irrelevent. . .

[SJPhillyBoy]

Seriously, those videos and pictures don't look real. It looks like a world in a science fiction movie. Really unbelievable...beautiful.

[Frisco_Zig]

As incredibly and even dream-like as these cities are, I would be very leery towards traveling to Yemen.

I never listen to State Department travel warnings. . . they're almost always irrelevent. . .

They used to just kidnap tourists but sadly there have been killings recently. Odds are very much in your favor of being ok.

[Strayone]

The 2 guys on top of the building is a nice touch, great stuff.

[peanut gallery]

Those are so visually stunning. Then you take into account their age, and you realize how truly amazing they are.

[VivaLFuego]

Great stuff

[Smiley Person]

http://www.galenfrysinger.com/Photos/sana02.jpg
How did those cars manage to drive in there?

[imtl]

I'll probably never have the opportunity to travel there and see these wonders with my own eyes but still, thanks for making all these amazing pictures available to "the outside world" ; )

[muppet]

http://www.galenfrysinger.com/Photos/sana02.jpg
How did those cars manage to drive in there?

Answer: with great difficulty :D
Canyer spot the one below:
http://www.bgr.bund.de/DE/Themen/TZ/Bilder/LaenderRegionen__Jemen__g,property=default.jpg

[MIAMISKYLINE]

My gosh!! they have a 1500 YEARS OLD SKYLINE.
wOW, GOOD LORD!!

The city is just a dream.:notacrook: :notacrook:

[modkris]

wow.....thanks for sharing these muppet. I had no idea these places existed. what a trip!

[muppet]

one of the interesting things about Yemen is that out of one of its myriad minorities live Black African descendants from the days of the Arab conquests, who are a beuatiful mix of Horn of Africa and Arab peoples.