Thula
A stone-built town northwest of Sana'a below a fortified mountain.
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Thula is built of dressed pale stone below a mountain crowned by a fortress, and the town is unusually intact: the houses are stone rather than the mud brick of the lowlands, several storeys with decorated windows, on paved lanes with cisterns cut into the rock. A path climbs to the fortress above. It has been on Yemen's tentative list for World Heritage nomination for many years without being inscribed.
What you actually see
- The stone houses - several storeys of dressed pale stone with decorated windows.
- The fortress above - the citadel on the mountain crowning the town.
- The rock cisterns - the water storage cut into the stone.
- The intact fabric - a town largely unaltered in its building.
When to go
October to April is the cool season at this altitude. Summer is hot but the highlands are milder than the coast. Nights are cold in winter.
Honest expectations
The climb to the fortress is steep and the path is rough. Access to mainland Yemen requires arrangements made well in advance. Facilities in the town are minimal.
Nearby
Kawkaban is south, and Sana'a is southeast.
What to pack for Thula
Chosen from what this place is for. Tap a kit for the full checklist.
Opening times, ticket prices and seasonal closures change - check the official source before you go: official site.