Travel Guide to Sanaa: Everything You Need to Know to Travel to Yemen

Sana'a is considered one of the oldest Arab capitals, as it was established as an integrated city in the fifth century BC. Therefore, anyone at the moment thinking of traveling to Yemen, he needs some advice when traveling to Sana'a, because in recent times the state of Yemen has been blinded by many political confusions and divisions, and this makes visiting Yemen somewhat dangerous, but if you need to travel there, this guide will be a very important step in your itinerary, as you learn the most important steps necessary before traveling, the time of arrival, and how to move within the country.

The value of Sana'a city

Regardless of Yemen's political turmoil, Sana'a is one of the oldest capitals in the world. It has a long history of ancient civilizations such as the civilization of Sheba and Himyar. These civilizations are mentioned in the three monotheistic religions. This gives this city a kind of power and holiness to many people. The architectural style of Sana'a is also very prominent, as it is a desert mountain city, and the forms of houses based on the stepped mountain plateaus make it a different city in terms of appearance, and some believe that it resembles history films although it is not that old, but the shapes of the houses make the beholder feel it immediately.

The city of Sana'a was famous in the past as a strategic city in the Silk Road for trade, which was linking China, India and Europe, and it was famous for selling incense and spices, and these goods in the past were the most expensive commodities in the world because they are rare and need a harsh and rare environment to appear, hence the value of the great city of Sana'a because for long periods they were the richest merchants in the world thanks to their trade in spices and incense, and with the passage of time Yemen has become one of the richest civilizations in the world, but for the current days in different situations A little so let's get to know the most important tips when visiting Sana'a in particular and Yemen in general.

Timing of the visit

In recent times, Yemen has suffered from a split in political forces and this has shown a lot of insecurity in being there. But if you take your own responsibility and know what you are doing, the best dates to visit Yemen are from October to March, which is from the beginning of autumn to the beginning of spring, because winter there is warm and parallel to summer in some western and cold countries. From April to September, the temperature is scorching, knowing that Yemen has one large share of the largest deserts in the world, which is the Empty Quarter desert, which it shares with Saudi Arabia, and this indicates how harsh the heat is there, so it is preferable to visit it only in winter.

On the other hand, the city of Sana'a has continental weather, so at times the weather is very frosty and cold, so then, whether in winter or summer, you should wear heavy clothes at night because the weather reaches degrees below zero quickly. Also, for natural disasters and storms, the city of Sana'a is desert, so it is permanently exposed to unexpected sandstorms, you should be careful if you are in an open place and be guided by safety guidelines from the Yemeni authorities in such situations.

Entry to Sana'a

One of the most important tips for traveling to Sana'a is to prepare entry papers and visas before arriving there, because Yemen is a country that does not allow anyone to enter its territory without a visit visa. There is more than one type of visa, there is a tourist visa and there is a diplomatic visit visa, knowing that the Yemen visa cannot be obtained while at the airport. They must be obtained before arriving in Yemen in order to enter.

The visa procedure for travel to Yemen is done through the Yemeni embassy in your country, and usually takes several weeks but cannot travel without it. Where you must submit your passport and fill out the visa application form with the reason for entering the State of Yemen, whether for study, tourism or family visit, with the translation of all the documents required for proof into Arabic because it is the official language of the State of Yemen.

Respect for customs and traditions

One of the most important tips when traveling to Sana'a is to respect the customs and traditions of the people of Medina, because the people of Yemen are people who are very proud of their culture and customs and traditions. They are very generous, especially with strangers, they have nice and very welcoming hosting habits. But on the other hand, they expect their customs and traditions to be respected. One of the most important traditions is modesty, especially women, as they prefer women with modest clothes and covered heads. When visiting mosques there, you cannot enter with shoes, but leave the shoes outside the mosque and then return again after the end of the visit, also accepting the invitation to eat or drink. They are hospitable people so refusing to invite them to eat or drink is considered a bad thing for them. Yemen is also a Muslim country, so it is not allowed to drink alcohol or eat pork because it is forbidden there.

Electricity and Internet in Yemen

Due to the conditions of the war in Yemen, there is an ongoing energy problem. Sana'a is the least power-cut city because it is the capital, but this does not prevent electricity from being cut off there irregularly and tididiously. Therefore, it is preferable to take a backup power bank charger, so that you can charge your phone at the time of a power outage. Electricity sockets in Yemen hotels are available in 110 and 220 volts, so you have to make sure the power of the electrical outlet so as not to damage your electrical appliances. As for the Internet service, it is very expensive, as the landline Internet bill there reaches more than $ 100 per month, and this is of course a large amount, especially since the Internet infrastructure there was affected by the civil war, which made the Internet service not the best expected service.

Conclusion

The city of Sana'a is very ancient, and is characterized by a picturesque and rare nature, so it is very important to know some tips before traveling to Sana'a to make it easier for you to travel and move, so as not to surprise there with something new that you did not take into account. So you have to understand the customs and traditions of the people of the city, how to arrive and get a visa, means of communication and electricity while you are there.