The Mosque includes a faculty of Islamic studies and Koranic sciences, vast courtyards, underground rest rooms, parking lots, and green areas. Al-Saleh Mosque has six minarets 100 m high, in addition to a number of domes. Each of the minarets is over 100m high, the main hall alone covers 13,500 sq. m and the mosque can hold over 44,000 worshippers, with a separate women’s section. There are 10 doors on the eastern and western sides, five doors on the southern side leading to the mosque’s rear courtyard, the Islamic sharia college’s courtyard, and in the ablution area. The entire structure was built according to the highest standards of safety.

The various Islamic and Yemeni architecture styles of were taken into account in the design of the walls and the roof decorations. The building’s main structure is made of reinforced concrete- Yemeni concrete, thanks to its reputation for being of excellent quality. Moreover, President Saleh instructed that the mosque’s extensive stonework to be carried out exclusively with materials found locally. The inspirational construction of Al Saleh mosque bridges the gap between Yemen’s ancient civilization and architectural legacy and modern technology, and deftly integrates the cherished heritage and novel innovations.

Known as a city of forts and citadels, Al-Mahweet is situated 72 km from the City of Sana’a – the capital of Yemen. Located at the roof of a range of mountains north-west of Sana’a, Al-Mahaweet town is a pleasantly attractive tourist area for rest and recreation, thanks to its crisp mountain air. Lying on the foot of Jabal (Mount) Al-Qarani’a at a height of 2,400 km, the village is surrounded by a wall and protective towers which bears the same name as the city – the famous Al-Taweelah Fortress. To take full pleasure of the beauty of the natural surroundings put up in any of the superior Hotels in Al Mahweet in Yemen like the Al Mahweet Hotel in Al Mahweet. It has all the arrangements to ensure the visitors a comfortable stay. For more photos click here

Nduara Loliondo was designed with Mongolian yurts to celebrate nomadic cultures around the world. The outcome is the most amazing camp you will ever see. The camp sited along Loliondo community area which borders the Serengeti National Park, spending 6 months in the south, and then 6 months in the north. The landscape and game viewing is spectacular, with lots of resident game and stunning private campsites which highlight the beauty and amazing diversity of this area.

There are 6 large yurts. Each accommodation yurt has its own en-suite bathroom attached to the back of the main sleeping area with traditional safari bucket showers and short drop toilets. The camp also feature a dining yurt and a separate lounge-library yurt.

Location: Serengeti National Park, Tanzania. Getting there: fly by private charter, or scheduled flights, or drive in 4WD vehicles. Nearest airstrips will vary according to the seasons.

For centuries the need for security has driven the fiercely tribal inhabitants of Yemen to live together in towns that can be easily defended. Although there are district regional differences, the vernacular house is a tower, built to a height of up to 30 m. Sana’a, the capital of the Yemen, has about 14,000 of these tower houses. Typically they are six stories high, made of mud bricks decorated with thick layers of whitewashed gypsum.Opening, doors, and windows in the houses are usually emphasized in white. Photo by: twiga_swala

Mud bricks are often handmade in the traditional way out of earth and straw mixed with water and then dried in the sun. Gypsum is obtained locally and is also used for shelves and decorative effects inside. Each tower has to accommodate a family, its goods, and guests, with animals, such as sheep, goats, and cattle on the first floor. The foundation are of stone to protect walls from damp. Walls get progressively thinner as the tower extends upward, and a broad staircase paved with stone links the different levels. Photo by: Jungle_Boy

Above the animals is usually a floor for storage. The fifth floor, for instance, might house the kitchen, being high enough to benefit from the ventilation that comes with height above the ground. On the top floor is the traditional mafraij, a large room with a view where guests are welcomed and the men of the family gather to drink coffee, smoke, and talk. The introducing of modern amenities is, unfortunately, proving a threat to this delicately balanced ecology of hose building. Photo by: twiga_swala

Socotra Island is a part of a group of islands, which have been geographically isolated from midland Africa for the last 6 or 7 million years. The island is an absolutely imaginary place with 700 extremely rare species of flora and fauna, found nowhere else on Earth.

 

The island is surrounded by wide turquoise beaches rises to limestone hills full of caves. The climate is hot and dry.

 

Socotra is like other planet or it can be called the ”Island of Madness” – the trees and plants of this island were preserved, some being 20 million years old.

 

The dracena cinnibaris or Dragon’s Blood Tree is used in medieval ritual magic and alchemy. The branches of this tree spread out into the sky and form below appear to hover over the landscape like flying saucers.

 

There’s also a Desert Rose which looks like an elephant leg.

 

The island is very peaceful place. Paradise!If you decide to visit it, you can forget about the beachfront concrete hotels and restaurants. The island support the eco-tourism and the healthy way of life.

 

 

 

Socotra is the largest member of an archipelago and a four-island ellipsis that trails off the Horn of Africa into the Gulf of Aden. A mix of ancient granite massifs, limestone cliffs and red sandstone plateaus. The island is situated 250 miles off the coast of Yemen.

Before 250 million years or more, when all the planet’s major landmasses were joined and most major life-forms were just a gleam, Socotra already stood as an island apart. The island had been gathering birds, seeds and insects off the winds and cultivating one of the world’s most unusual collections of organisms. As well as the island is home to myrrh trees and several rare birds. Its marine life is a unique hybrid of species from the Red Sea, the Indian Ocean and the western Pacific.

During the years the island has begun to attract tourists. A modest airport went up in 1999. (Before then, the island could be reached only by cargo ship; from May to September, when monsoon winds whip up the sea, it could be cut off entirely.) That year, 140 travelers visited.

If you want to visit this an extraordinary island there’re a few hotels Some have rooms with private bathrooms and flush toilets (about $10 a night). As well as camping is an ideal way to sleep, since the island’s main ecological sites are one or more hours’ drive away from Hadibu; you can arrange to rent gear on the island.

Situated in a mountain valley at an altitude of 2,200 m, Sana’a has been inhabited for more than 2,500 years. In the 7th and 8th centuries the city became a major centre for the propagation of Islam. This religious and political heritage can be seen in the 103 mosques, 14 hammams and over 6,000 houses, all built before the 11th century. Tourists arriving in Sana’a aren’t interested in seeing the development, and the change that has taken place in Sana’a much as they’re interested in focusing their attention on the historic and ancient city of Sana’a.
Typical houses in Sana’a rise to as many as nine stories. Sana’a‘s many-storeyed tower-houses built of rammed earth add to the beauty of the site. The lower levels are usually built of stone, and the upper ones of lighter brick. The windows are outlined in white gypsum and have fan lights of alabaster or coloured glass held in gypsum tracery.

The old city has been inhabited for more than 2500 years and contains a wealth of intact architectural gems. It was declared a World Heritage City by the United Nations in 1984. The old city contains houses which are more than 400 years old, built of dark basalt stone and decorated with intricate frieze work. Surrounded by ancient clay walls which stand six to nine metres high, the old city boasts over 100 mosques, 12 hammams (baths) and 6500 houses. The old city wall is extremely well preserved.