Sanaa, << sah NAH >> (pop. 2,545,000) is the capital and largest city of Yemen. It lies in the western part of the country in a fertile district of a mountainous region. The city is an economic, political, religious, and educational center of Yemen. Its name is sometimes spelled Sana.
Sanaa is shaped like a figure 8. Its central district is surrounded by a high wall. The seven-story Republican Palace, a government office building, stands at the district’s center. Sanaa has about 50 mosques (Muslim houses of worship). Many of Sanaa’s buildings are five to nine stories tall and have white plaster decorations that look like lace against the reddish-brown brick walls. Most of Sanaa’s people work as craftworkers, government officials, or laborers.
Sanaa is an ancient city. Its founding date is unknown.
In 2013, fighting between Islamic extremists, southern rebels, and government forces erupted in parts of Yemen. A Shī`ite Muslim rebel group known as the Houthis took control of Sanaa in 2014. Fighting in Yemen escalated in 2015, and large parts of Sanaa were damaged. In March, Islamic terrorists killed at least 120 people in bombing attacks on Houthi mosques in Sanaa. The terrorist group Islamic State (also known as ISIS or ISIL) claimed responsibility for the attacks.
