Urgent safeguarding of Ghumdhan and Al-Yadumi Houses in Old Sana’a

One of the oldest cities in the world, Sana’a has been inhabited for more than 2,500 years. Sana’a became a major center for the spread of the Islamic faith in the 7th and 8th centuries. Its urban landscape is recognizable for its multi-storied tower-houses of rammed earth and covered by geometric forms made of burned brick and white gypsum. Since 2011, the architectural heritage of Sana’a has been subject to neglect, civil unrest, vandalism, armed conflict, and more recently to the impact of climate change. ALIPH is supporting documentation, urgent stabilization and restoration of two traditional tower houses in the Old City. These historical houses partially collapsed following conflict and torrential flooding linked to climate change and required urgent interventions.