The 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,...
Oskar Reinhart was an heir to Volkart Brothers, a Winterthur-based trading company focused on importing goods, specifically cotton, from India. The entire Reinhart family were great lovers and collectors of art, but Oskar took it to another level. In his lifetime, he collected more than 800 paintings by many of Europe's great masters. The best pieces in the collection, about 200 ...
The 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...
This fascinating museum dedicated to China’s military and its history first opened in 1960. The building’s edifice is a striking example of Socialist Realism. Even before entering the museum, there’s no doubt that it’s related to the military. Outside is a row of artillery cannons and a decommissioned boat. Once you get inside, the main hall is filled with tanks, planes, and a rocket. One...