Old City of Sana'a

• New buildings;
• Increasing number of dilapidated buildings

Summary of previous deliberations: At its twenty-second extraordinary session, the Bureau noted the following. A monitoring mission visited the site in June 1998 and found that there was obvious need of co-ordination between the various governmental bodies involved in the city as well as between the World Bank project team and the General Organization for the Preservation of the Historic Cities in Yemen (GOPHCY). The responsible national authorities requested the members of the mission to assist in establishing a new scheme in order to define the roles of various international and national bodies. The mission recommended that UNESCO creates a focal point in Sana’a to co-ordinate preservation activities in Sana'a and in other historical cities of Yemen. The Bureau, after having taken note of the above report of the Secretariat, requested the Centre to assist the Yemeni authorities in establishing a focal point in Sana'a and provide technical assistance to prepare an overall management plan for the city.

New Information:

• Fly-over bridge

In November 1998, a monitoring mission visited the Old City of Sana'a and was informed of a plan for a fly-over bridge (approx. 1,000 m long) to be constructed near the south-west corner of the Old Walled City. In March 1999, a staff member of the UNESCO Amman Office visited the site and found that the proposed fly-over bridge had been modified and its length was shortened from 1,000 m to 400 m. Thus the impact of this construction on the Old City is now reduced, subject to verification that no new changes have been made.

• Great Mosque extension

During the mission of March 1999, the staff was informed of the project of extension of the Great Mosque, which requires the demolition of a number of old houses (approx. 80), to enlarge the entrance space and to a create parking lot. Since some of the old houses, planned for demolition, are of architectural value, the extension should be carried in a way that it respects the values of the site. Furthermore, a member of the mission of November 1998 pointed out that the creation of a parking lot might require wider access roads to the Mosque (specially through Bab el Yemen gate), adding problems to the site.

This project could seriously endanger the integrity of the Old City, by opening large free spaces inside the city, allowing car and truck traffic and destroying old houses.

Following the mission of March 1999, the World Heritage Centre sent a letter to the Permanent Delegation of Yemen requesting them to submit detailed reports on these issues before 15 April 1999 for presentation to the Bureau at its twenty-third session. No answer has been received so far.