Flight Destinations
Flights to Sanaa
Places in Yemen
Sanaa is both the capital and the largest city of the Republic of Yemen, in the Middle East. Situated within the Yemeni Mountains, Sanaa is the main entry point for international visitors as it is the location of the country’s international airport, and has a selection of interesting attractions.
Flights to Sanaa
The Sanaa International Airport (airport code: SAH) is the main gateway both to the city and the country, and is situated within the city. Flights to Sanaa from the UK are available as both direct and indirect routes, with Yemeni – Yemen Airways offering the only direct flight to Sanaa. For more choice of flight times choose one stop flights to Sanaa with airlines including Emirates, Jet Airways, Turkish Airlines, Ethiopian Airlines, Lufthansa, British Airways, Egyptair and BMI.
Sanaa Tourist Attractions
Despite the tourist attractions and usually welcoming and friendly people travel to Sanaa is not recommended at this time because of troubles in the Republic of Yemen. The threat of terrorist activity and kidnappings is high involving Western visitors, so if you must travel be very vigilant and check for updates with the British Embassy and Foreign Office.
Officially spelt Sana’a, the city’s name is often simplified to Sanaa for ease of use, though there are also several other variations of the name too.
This ancient city is a bustling place and if you’re considering visiting Yemen to see other parts of the country, Sanaa is definitely worth staying in for several days. Beautiful, and abundant, architecture is one of the city’s main features, especially in the Old City.
The Old City of Sana’a
Visitors will no doubt spend most of their time within Sanaa’s ancient Old City. This has been a UNESCO World Heritage Site since 1986 and is recognised for its cultural and historical importance because the city that has been inhabited for over 2,500 years. The distinctive architectural windows of the Old City are its most famed feature, as is its abundance of historical buildings.
Dating from the 11th century you will find over 6,000 houses, 103 mosques, and 14 hammams (traditional bath houses) in Sanaa. Amongst those mosques is one of the oldest in the Muslim world, the Great Mosque, which actually dates as far back as the 7th century.
Souks and Markets
The Sanaa Souk is said to be one of the best on the whole of the Arabian Peninsula. Called the Salt Market, this area traditionally sold salt along with bread, spices, and more. You could even come here in past times to buy slaves! Though slaves are no longer for sale tourists can still buy many different products all the same!
The New City of Sanaa
Though the Old City is better recognised as a tourist destination the newer Sanaa has multiple things to offer too. The city is growing very quickly and is benefiting from foreign investment in the shape of multinational companies setting up offices here. Skyscrapers and entertainment complexes are being built and Sanaa is developing into quite a modern metropolis.
There are two theme parks for example, called Funcity and Sabean Park that are both popular attractions with locals and visitors. A new shopping mall has been built and general infrastructure is being improved. A new mosque, Masjid Al Saleh, has been constructed and is one of the largest in the world.
When Should You Visit Sanaa?
Sanaa has warm to hot temperatures throughout the year. During the winter the weather is almost completely dry and with an average high of nearly 20C (68F) in January (the coolest month) this is actually a very good time to visit. June and July and the hottest months, but do have rainfall, and August is the wettest month of the year.