Unesco classifies Sana'a as endangered heritage site

The city dates back to more than 2,500 years and was an important center of Islam thought in the 7th and 8th centuries.

The UN Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organisation (Unesco), has inducted the Old City of Sana'a to the list of World Heritage sites in danger due to the “serious damage” done amidst clashes between Shiite Houthi rebels and pro-government forces in Yemen.

The decision was made on Thursday during the 39th session of the World Heritage Committee in Bonn, Germany, while the Old Walled City of Shibam in Yemen and the ancient Iraqi city of Hatra were also added to the list.

The committee issued a statement voicing its sadness and concern over the destruction and damage that inflicted “an Islamic city of great historic and heritage” significance.

Sana'a, located in a mountainous valley 2,200 meters, dates back more than 2,500 years and was an important center of Islam thought in the 7th and 8th centuries.

The Old City of Sana'a, with a legacy of 103 mosques, 14 public bathhouses, 6,000 homes built before the 11th century and its flagship tower-houses built of rammed earth, was inscribed on the World Heritage List in 1986.

The Old Walled City of Shibam was also included in the list of sites in danger due to threats posed by the conflict in Yemen.