Address: 10 km outside Sana'a Tickets: YER 500 A green valley, a rural setting, open pastures, a rocky cliff, on top of which sits a large palatial complex – welcome to the Wadi al-Dahr, a heavenly retreat far from the maddening crowds of city life. The valley houses the Dar al-Hajjah, a palace built in 1935 for Yahya, the last Imam, which displays the epitome of centuries old construction ...
This palace was built by a Hindu businessman by the name of Shivratan Chandraratan Mohatta in the 1920's. The building is constructed out of special pink stones from Jodhpur and the common yellow stones. It housed the offices of the Foreign Affairs ministry after the founding of Pakistan. It was soon given under the care of Fatima Jinnah, sister of the Quaid, but after her death it fell into negle...
A white elephant is burdensome possession which cannot be disposed of, and whose upkeep far outweighs its usefulness. Montreal’s Olympic Stadium is a perfect example of a white elephant. Construction began in 1973, and was not completed until 1987. It was barely opened in time for the Olympics, but the tower and retractable roof (which has never actually retracted) remained unfin...
The Grand Mosque, as it is popularly known, is a visual delight and an impressive landmark of Abu Dhabi. It is arguably the third largest mosque in the world. It is named after Sheikh Zayed bin Sultan Al Nahyan who was the founder and the first President of the United Arab Emirates, and whose graveyard is in the same mosque. The Mosque was officially opened in the month of Ramadan in 2007. Non-Mus...