Not to miss

San'a

If you believe the Yemenis, San'a is one of the first sites of human settlement, founded by Noah's son, Shem. Other sources suggest the city has been around since at least the 2nd century AD, and up until 1962 the city still nestled within its ancient walls, surrounded by green fields.

These days, San'a sprawls outside the walls and many houses in the Old City are over 400 years old. The area within the walls is the largest preserved medina in the Arab world. Mosque minarets rise above the tower houses, and the city is sprinkled with Ottoman bathhouses.

Rada'

The sprawling town of Rada' is best known for its exceptional mosque. One of the most important towns in the southern province of Al-Baydha, Rada' lies on a plain, backed by a fortified rocky hill. The town is mainly built of mud, but the old town is partly surrounded by a stone wall.

The Al-Amiriya Mosque stands in the centre of the old town. It has a uniquely Yemeni design, and was built about 500 years ago by a Tahirid sultan. The mosque is no longer in use, which means you can wander through the restored building. The building's grooved cupolas are particularly beautiful.

Dar al-Hajar

This five-storey summer palace sits at the peak of a protruding rock formation. The building was extended in the 1930s from 18th-century ruins. Many of the 17 rooms are lavishly furnished and their former uses are explained mostly in English. Traditional Yemeni weddings are sometimes held on Fridays by the entrance.

Old San'a

In 1984, Old San'a in its entirety was declared a Unesco World Heritage site. The town is so perfectly preserved, it is said that you can walk a square kilometre without encountering a single new building. The old city is famous for its 14,000 'tower houses'. Reaching six or eight stories high, they have been called 'the world's first skyscrapers'.

Baraqish

Once the capital of the kingdom of Ma'in, Barqish stands beside a wadi (valley) in the north of Yemen. The city was a thriving centre for a few decades around 400BC; it had huge city walls, punctuated by dozens of impressive watchtowers, which surrounded a tightly built urban settlement.

There's not a lot left of Barqish these days - you can still see the city wall, but the rest is deserted and ruined. Old stones with Minaean inscriptions have been used as patches on the city wall, and you'll find the ruins of a mosque and a temple in the centre of the town. There's no public transport between San'a and Baraqish, so you'll need to take a tour or hire a taxi in Ma'rib, the closest big town.