5/5 Abdulrahman N. 5 years ago on Google
The
Middle-Eastern-styled
palace
as
it
stands
today
was
actually
built
relatively
recently,
in
the
1930s
by
an
Islamic
spiritual
leader
named
Yahya
Muhammad
Hamiddin,
but
it
seems
that
he
was
building
atop
a
preexisting
structure
that
was
built
in
the
1700s
by
an
Islamic
scholar.
The
tall
castle
was
intended
to
be
the
leader’s
summer
home,
and
featured
a
number
of
facilities
including
appointment
rooms
for
his
highly
appointed
guests
and
separate
spaces
for
cooling
water
in
earthen
jars.
The
rooms
are
built
up
the
side
of
a
tall
rock
spire,
culminating
in
a
grand
tower
at
its
pinnacle.
The
Imam
Yahya
was
assassinated
in
1948,
but
his
iconic
palace
still
stands
and
it
has
become
a
popular
example
of
Yemeni
architecture.
While
it
is
no
longer
used
as
a
royal
residence,
the
palace
has
been
refitted
as
a
museum
and
can
be
toured
for
a
fee.
Visitors
can
range
about
through
the
kitchens,
storage
rooms,
and
appointment
rooms
connected
by
a
small
labyrinth
of
stairways
leading
through
the
five-story
structure.
But
as
impressive
as
it
is
to
explore
inside,
it
is
the
view
from
the
exterior
that
really
makes
the
palace
one
of
a
kind.
Combined
with
the
natural
rock
on
which
it
is
built,
it
truly
looks
like
a
monumental
work
straight
out
of
a
fantasy
novel.
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