Heavy rains in Yemen have led to the collapse of around 100 houses in the Old City of Sanaa, a UNESCO World Heritage Site. The deputy head of the Historic Cities Preservation Authority, Aqeel Saleh Nassar, told Al Jazeera that around 5,000 buildings in this district of the capital have leaky roofs, some 100 of which are partially or wholly collapsed. This year’s exceptionally heavy rains, which began in mid-April, combined with a five-year-long war in which more than 100,000 people have been killed, have exacerbated the problems of conserving neighbourhoods that date from before the 11th century.
In a city known for spectacle, Soul Kitchen in Business Bay stands out by doing the opposite. It whispers instead of shouting. Tucked away from the obvious hotspots, the restaurant has become a quiet cultural landmark — a space where food, art, and identity move together in harmony.
