Page 131 - Off The Tourist Trail - 1000 Unexpected Travel Alternatives (Part 2 of 2)

CHAPTER: CITIES

299

CITIES

MAIN IMAGE Women shopping in a covered market, Fez, Morocco
BELOW (left to right) Vats of colored dye at a tannery, Fez; mosaic-tiled stairway
in the Bou Inania Medersa

3 MORE ARAB CITIES TO
RIVAL MARRAKECH

SANA’A, YEMEN The center of the Yemeni capital is a UNESCO
World Heritage Site known for its concentration of ancient
mud-brick tower houses – tall buildings built for defensive
purposes. With traditional dress very much in vogue here – few
men would dare be seen lacking their jambiya (dagger) in their
belt – Sana’a is a true vision of old Arabia.
TUNIS, TUNISIA Tunis hosts another of north Africa’s great
medinas, but the city’s origins far predate the arrival of Islam. The
main mosque was built with columns stolen from Roman-era
Carthage, which stood at the edge of the modern city. Further
ruins add to the blend of ancient, medieval, and modern.
ALEPPO, SYRIA Syria’s second city is home to the country’s
greatest souks. Miles of bustling covered bazaars surround the
stunning 8th-century Great Mosque and lead to the mound of
Aleppo’s imposing citadel, which withstood the armies of both
the Crusaders and the Mongols.

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