Sanaa

Sanaa, officially the Sanaa Municipality, is the capital and largest city of Yemen. The city is the capital of the Sanaa Governorate, but is not part of the governorate, as it forms a separate administrative unit. At an elevation of 2,300 metres (7,500 ft), Sanaa is the seventh highest capital city in the world and is situated between the Sarawat Mountains of Jabal An-Nabi Shu'ayb and Jabal Tiyal, considered the highest mountains in the Arabian Peninsula and one of the highest in the Middle East. Sanaa has a population of approximately 3,300,000 (2023), making it Yemen's largest city. As of 2020, the greater Sanaa urban area makes up about 10% of Yemen's total population. The Old City of Sanaa, a UNESCO World Heritage Site, has a distinctive architectural character, most notably expressed in its multi-story buildings decorated with geometric patterns. Al-Saleh Mosque, the largest in the country, is located in the southern outskirts of the city. In September 2014, the Houthis captured Sanaa from the government of President Abdrabbuh Mansur Hadi. Since then, the Yemeni government has moved the seat to Aden, the former capital of South Yemen. Aden was declared the temporary capital by then-president Hadi in March 2015.