Al Yanfaa
Spent a few hours rambling, slowly, through this hilly and interesting town in the sweltering heat.
The ancient residents of Al Yanfa came up with a novel way to navigate their congested village built on an uneven hill: they created a network of warrens beneath their houses that resembles a fairy-tale scene. Wandering through these amazingly engineered tunnels, with their low timber ceilings and tiny wooden front doors, is a real delight and privilege (this is a living village). Note the ingenious way slate on the upper mud sections of the houses stops erosion.
Unfortunately, when we were there, only mad dogs and overlanders went out in the noonday sun, so we missed a more in depth tour. Nevertheless, it was so different to my usual experience that I really enjoyed it.
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