Wadi Dhar - Notes

About 15km north of Sana'a is a green and fertile valley known as Wadi Dhahr (a wadi is a seasonal river, typically found in a deep narrow valley and dotted with oases.) Apart from various small, friendly villages scattered along its length and some spectacular rock formations, the main reason for visiting Wadi Dhahr is for the Dar al Hajar, Imam Yahya's rock palace. It is also well worth spending some time though just walking along the wadi - it's really a very beautiful area with some attractive villages like Qaryat al-Qabil. If you've just arrived in Sana'a, this area, just a short drive from the city, is a good and easy introduction to the Yemeni highlands as a whole. The local people are very friendly but more accustomed to foreign visitors than in some of the more remote parts. Don't count on finding many English speakers though.