The ancient city of Old Sana’a, high up in the Yemeni Mountains, dates back more than 2,500 years, making it one of the most esteemed continuously inhabited urban areas on the planet.
A UNESCO World Heritage Site, Old Sana'a is renowned for its rammed earth tower houses. As many as 6,000 of these multi-level homes were constructed before the 11th century.
These beautiful ancient geometric stone homes in Yemen (Yes, Yemen, where the US is currently bombing!) tragically have been targeted. Yemen has been in the grip of a devastating proxy civil war since 2014, after Iran-backed Houthi ousted the Saudi-aligned government and took control of Old Sana'a and other parts of the country.
Since then, the city has been battered by Saudi-led airstrikes, which have destroyed a number of its iconic tower houses, and many of those that are still standing are suffering severe neglect.
Adding to the multiple threats to the city's heritage, Old Sana'a endured months of exceptionally heavy rains in 2020. Weakened by the forces of Mother Nature and widespread flooding, 111 tower houses collapsed, and 6,000 dwellings have leaky roofs. With America now bombing Yemen, the situation is only likely to worsen.
IMAGINE how you and your family would feel or survive if your home was bombed, destroyed, or invaded like this. No one should endure this kind of horrific trauma. Bombing or destroying civilian homes is illegal, immoral, and inhumane! So why do militaries keep doing it? Why is no one held accountable? What is the purpose of this kind of sadistic behavior and destruction? Everyone deserves to live in peace and be safe in their homes.
Look at Dresden, Germany, before and after the February 1945 bombing and Hiroshima and Nagasaki, Japan, after the August 1945 bombing.
What did this accomplish? It was all in vain because we now have far less freedom and liberty than what they claim those wars were for. Hence, I support a World Beyond War and the Global Energy Parliament and encourage others to do the same.
Also, I propose a global treaty to never again bomb or destroy homes where people live or ancient architectural treasures or temples! Few people know of this destruction that has been ongoing for centuries, and it needs to stop!
From one war-torn place to another, Aleppo's ancient Citadel, which looms over the Syrian city, dates way back to the third millennium BC. However, a majority of the residences within its walls were erected by the Ayyubids during the 12th and 13th centuries.
Full of history, the UNESCO World Heritage Site has withstood everything from earthquakes to sieges over the centuries. Tragically, recent bombings in Syria have destroyed many of its ancient treasures. Again, for what purpose? Bombing homes creates millions of refugees.
Starting as a temple to the Mesopotamian Storm God Hadad, the Citadel was first used as a fortification by the Macedonians in the third or fourth century BC.
It was conquered by Muslim forces in 636 AD and later became the capital of the Hamdamid dynasty before it was sacked by the Christian Byzantines in 962 AD.
Thereafter, the Citadel was occupied by the Zengid, Ayyubids, Mongols, and Mamluks, eventually falling into Ottoman hands in the 16th century.
Throughout its long history, the fortified palace has been damaged and restored numerous times but was never completely destroyed, which gives testament to its resilience.