History of Sanaa

Sana'a is one of the oldest populated places in the world. According to popular legend, it was founded by Shem, the son of Noah. It was known as "Azal" in ancient times, which has been connected to Uzal, a son of Qahtan, a great-grandson of Shem, in the biblical accounts of Genesis. Its current name likely derived from the South Arabian word for "well-fortified", a name that echoes the meaning of the Ethiopian name—recorded in a Syriac account as