MOSQUES AND "WAQF" PROPERTIES: GARDENS AND HAMMAMS

The old town has over fifty mosques, five of which are covered by domes or domes. The oldest mosques have a roof roof, and it is only with the first Ottoman occupation that the new architectural style was introduced, with its motifs and domes.

The most representative of the Yemeni mosques is probably the Great Mosque of Sana'a. She was built from Mohammed's life and his precise instructions. Some of its elements, such as decorative columns and wooden capitals, came from the cathedral destroyed some years previously and still see crosses on some capitals, other older ones are located in the south gallery and are remnants of the South-arabiques temples. It was enlarged in the th century and a wooden ceiling ceiling was added in the th century, the restoration of which gives rise to splendid colours, some of which would be of sassanide inspiration.

In the th century, it was restored by Queen Aroua, who added the east wing with her painted and carved ceiling. The two minarets were renovated at the end of the th century and the courtyard paved in the th century. The imam Yéhia, in 1936, built the north wing and added to the south a library above the ground level. Soil surveys also show that the first level of the soil must be located at 80 cm below the current level. During repairs, in 1973, the workers were surprised to discover, hidden, in earlier niches hidden by walls of newer stucco, ancient Koranic manuscripts and historical chronicles. It is regrettable that his visit is problematic for non-Muslims, while other countries like Egypt have no problem with everyone wandering through mosques, showing themselves to be discreet and respectful, of course.

Al Talha mosque, located near the Great Mosque, is remarkable by its minaret sitting on a powerful stone base.

Mosques Jana and Madhab, near the silverware souk, share a single-sided minaret with brick-friezes.

The Al Taous Mosque in the Talha area is one of the oldest in Sana'a. She received her name from a Yemeni disciple of Mohammed, Abd Al Rahman Al Taous, who died in 724 in Mecca. It is lit by alabaster windows. A «sabil», a public water tank, was placed against the outer wall of the mosque. Mosques, as a rule, cannot be visited by non-Muslims.

It is a kind of property called "waqf", whose mosques have stewardship: these are the gifts that believers have made to God and which, therefore, are inalienable.

Among these very diverse properties are vegetable gardens and orchards, whose products are sold in the souk or in the neighbourhood. The old town still has forty-nine different gardens at present. They are no longer left behind: they have been protected by raising walls all around. These gardens are with by wells called "mirnas," whose water is extracted by the action of a slug slug. It is the purpose of a wanderings in the old town to discover all its gardens.

Among the easiest access, you will note the Borom garden, near the south wall and overcoming the Saela, Al Abhar west of Bal Al-Yemen, Al Taqoua on the other side of the Saela, on the path to Tahrir Square.

«Sabils» are water tanks intended to quench the thirst of passers-by. They are in the center of small constructions surmounted by a dome, which some people made to build a charity.

«Steam», or public baths, are often attached to mosques as «waqf» property. They are composed of three to six halls covered by domes. The main basin room, which sometimes includes a fountain, is located at the ground level, while the hot room is below, partially buried, and gives access to the very hot room, underground. The heat boiler is placed on the bottom, while the hot and cold water pipes pass into the walls of all the rooms. Boilers operate on oil, but it is not uncommon for worn tires or other waste to be burned. For access to steam, part of the week is reserved for women and the other for men. The Maydan Hammam, built in 1597 by the Ottomans along with the Al Bakiriyyah Mosque, is one of the largest in the city. Its restoration is planned, as well as the replacement of heating fuel oil.