Yemeni legend attributes Sanaa's founding to Shem, son of Noah, and archaeological evidence points to settlement here for thousands of years, making it one of the oldest continuously inhabited cities on earth. Perched on a plateau roughly 2,250 metres above sea level, the city enjoys a relatively temperate climate despite its arid surroundings.

The UNESCO-listed Old City of Sanaa is a unique architectural marvel of multi-storey mud-brick tower houses, some rising eight storeys, their facades decorated with intricate white gypsum geometric patterns framing the windows.