So, goodbye then, Sanaa. There have been no photos out of the city, capital of Yemen and one of the masterpieces of the world, since the Saudi-led invasion began to pound the place three days ago. Like Aleppo, another centrepiece of Arab civilisation, it looks set to be damaged and, if fighting persists, destroyed.
It would be easy to think some dark thoughts about the propensity to wantonly destroy things that have taken hundreds, thousands of years to build up — before remembering that in 1939-1945 Britain and Germany did their best to demolish the heritage of what was a shared northern European culture.
It took a long time for people to realise that Sanaa was even there — a city built of intricate multi-storey buildings in a style begun centuries before Europeans built anything, other than cathedrals, higher than a cottage — and by the time they did, it was becoming too dangerous to travel to. Here’s what it looked like before the bombing started. Let’s see what remains when the smoke clears …
I don’t think you need to go back as far as Dresden to identify Europeans desecrating culturally important cities. Dubrovnik falls within a generation.
Considering that the House of Saud is quite relaxed with destroying ancient mosques and other historical buildings in it’s own country, I doubt it cares one bit what becomes of the beautiful architecture of Sanaa.
http://www.independent.co.uk/news/world/middle-east/the-photos-saudi-arabia-doesnt-want-seen–and-proof-islams-most-holy-relics-are-being-demolished-in-mecca-8536968.html
In the puritanical mindset of the wahabbists the veneration of anything manmade is heresy.
Maybe one day the Saudis will be fighting for their own survival. Can’t come soon enough to see the end to that royal family, given what they’re doing to Yemen.
They wouldn’t be doing over Yemen, as they did Bahrain, except at the behest of the Hegemon.
Bill @ 3 – with you on that one all the way.