Old Sana'a, Yemen.

It's easy to get lost in Old Sana'a. The little streets twist and turn, a real labyrinth. In the middle is an ongoing market place, with hundreds of vendors. They're all grouped together, the spice vendors, the wood workers, the metal workers, clothes, hardware, antiques, and much more. The houses are beautifully decorated. They are very old. When the big rains come at the end of the summer, some of them collapse. There's people everywhwere, little kids playing in the streets, old people sitting on the side, vendors busy running around, or just sitting and watching people go by, or chewing their qat. Qat is the local, or national drug. Green leaves that people chew on to relax.
On the pictures you see the big historical gate, with Samme, my son, taking pictures. We ran into a self-appointed guide who showed us around everywhere. He took us into a beautiful building filled with little stores selling jewelry and art (see picture below). Then he took us on the roof, for a small fee, payable to the old man who puffed to get up all of the 4 floors with a big key in his hand. From the roof we could see most of the old city. Mohammeds mosque, the old bank that is in ruins right now. And a view from up there over the whole market place. He also took us to a small oil press place. It was like a big dark room. In the middle was the huge oil press, 3000 years old he said. The thing was powered by a camel that was kept in a little dark space behind the shop. On top of it, a young man was wringing the oil into containers. See pictures below. Some of the oils smelled wonderful. We bought some for the hair and the skin. Sweet almond oil (for the skin).