Gingerbread houses, a photo from Sana, West

Photographer's Note

I have been mainly absent from TE for a couple of weeks, partly because of a heavy work-load. Now I go back to where I left a fortnight ago, Yemen in 1998.

This is not a great shot but it gives you a fairly good idea of the famous "gingerbread houses" of old Sanaa. This central part of the capital offers plenty of views of the most unusual and spectacular architecture I have ever seen in any major city. It has a well deserved place among the UNESCO world heritage sites.

I have scanned this from a Kodachrome slide. Two more views of old Sanaa, from a different POV, will be added as workshops.

Here is a larger version.

Kamilutka, saxo042, RhodieIke, ourania, PaulVDV, tyro, trevormoffiet, worldcitizen, imageme, SnapRJW, kasianowak, Romano46, kato, Subhogen, COSTANTINO, chrislo, jcpix, adramad, nikkitta, adores, mcmtanyel, Tigerlily heeft deze opmerking als nuttig gemarkeerd

Critiques | Translate

Kamilutka (8107) 2014-02-09 7:13

Hello Gert,
what an accurate title for this photo :-) The houses really look like made of gingerbread, almost tempting to go and have a bite.
I haven't seen such an architecture anywhere else and this is truly interesting.
The crowd in the foreground makes the scene more complete and colorful.
Thanks for sharing and enjoy your Sunday
Kamila

carlo62 (81265) 2014-02-09 7:43

Ciao Gert
un'altra magia uscita dal tuo cilindro.
Spettacolari le facciate e il turbinio di persone nell'affollato mercato, due elementi contrastanti per dinamismo e colore.
Bellissimo scatto.
Buona domenica
Carlo

dta (98848) 2014-02-09 7:49

Hello Gert ,
This one is not so old , but t looks oldier ;)
In any case , this is a beautiful scene of the market with the outstanding buildings in the BG .
Regards

karacabeylis (1471) 2014-02-09 8:24

it is a great job indeed with its focused elements onto the atmosphere there. the details are enourmous.

RhodieIke (11752) 2014-02-09 8:34

Hi Gert,

My the hustle and bustle of this place with everyone shopping at the market.
As you say unusual gingerbread houses.
Well managed light and colours. Tfs,
A very interesting place.

Cheers, Iain.

ourania (51103) 2014-02-09 8:35

Hello Gert,
the buildings really look like gingerbread houses with sugar icing, the architecture is imaginative and unique, so elaborate in an arid place like this. I like very much how the buildings stand in the background of your photo, against a heavy and dramatic sky and illuminated by a peculiar light. The street scene is very busy and full of movement, it has a great sense of depth and so many mysterious points that arouse our curiosity. The shady foreground is very well integrated in the composition. I was wondering what these buildings look like from a closer point of view and on the inside. Your workshop picture is very interesting, gives some hint but preserves the mystery as well. I guess it would be difficult or impossible for a woman photographer to take pictures in a market like this. Congratulations and thank you!
All the best, have a great evening,
Ourania

saxo042 (38078) 2014-02-09 8:38

Hej Gert,
Jag har svårt att tro att barnen här bakar pepparkakshus till någon lämplig högtid i det här landet, men inspiration borde de ju ha. Men pepparkakor kanske inte ingår i dieten här. Men onekligen en intressant byggnadsstil. Det sedvanliga folklivet är väl representerat, d.v.s. kvinnorna lyser med sin frånvaro. Men de är kanske hemma och bakar...
Hälsningar
Gunnar

pajaran (115071) 2014-02-09 9:14

Dobro vece .
Interesantan tekst ...
Dobar rad skeniranjem slajda, lepo pokazan trg sa ljudima i tradicionalnom arhitekturom.
Lepa fotografija i uspomena.
Prijatno vece i lepa noc, sve najbolje.
Paja.

Good evening.
An interesting text ...
Good work by scanning the slide, shown nice square with people and traditional architecture.
Beautiful photos and memories.
Have a nice evening and night, all the best.
Paja.

jemaflor (146412) 2014-02-09 9:34

Hi Gert,
Beautiful and original architecture, well taken with people, light and colors are very pleasant, tfs.

yquem46 (38752) 2014-02-09 9:37

Hej Gert
Definitely a country to where I regret that i have not gone !
A good quality scan of this daily life scenery
Very good job
best regards, have a nice sunday evening
patrick

mesutilgim (0) 2014-02-09 10:38

Hello Gert,
Nice to see you back here !
Not too old but still soon two decades.
I don't think that it changed there too much. And I wish also silently that it doesn't changes much; specially those wonderfull fassades which you so nicely call gingerbread houses !
Nice scan and perfect archival capture.
TFS and best regards
MESUT ILGIM

PS.Meanwhile I've tried another method of scanning. Projecting the slides to a nice White clean Wall and make a digital capture from there ! It Works !!

PaulVDV (62810) 2014-02-09 11:00

Hello Gert,
Images like this one had convinced me at the time to travel to Yemen.
The architecture of a thousand and one nights and street scenes like here on the market represent a wonderful world.
The most amazing thing is that in that time we were welcome everywhere.
I think it's very good that you upload your old pictures of Yemen since we don't get to see any new images of this country anymore.
I was there in summertime and it rained a lot. But I see that also in October the sky shows thunderclouds.
Best regards, Paul

tyro (30513) 2014-02-09 13:24

Hello Gert,

Yes, these richly decorated brown brick buildings certainly do look good enough to eat and your main picture shows them behind what appears to be a town square or marketplace, absolutely buzzing with human activity. And your workshop pictures (particularly the one from the top of the hotel you didn't stay in) show excellent fine close-up details of the structure of the buildings too.

Again, these three amazing pictures are a tribute to your skills in copying and editing them as well as to the quality and longevity of Kodachrome slide film.

Excellent!

Kind Regards,

John.

trevormoffiet (3112) 2014-02-09 13:31

Hej Gert,
Den uppsättning av tre fotografier dokumenterar väl denna del av staden. Den första bilden visar oss den dagliga verksamheten med arkitekturen. Den andra och tredje bilderna visar oss i detalj arkitekturen och omfattningen av staden. Tack för att dela.
Hälsningar
Trevor

npecanhuk (79329) 2014-02-09 14:50

Hallo Gert!
Unique & exotic place!
Very attractive architecture & daily life picture!
Sharpness, exposure, colors, horizontal format, chosen pov and composition are all very good photo qualities that I truly enjoyed!
TFS - congrats,
Have an excellent week,
Neyvan

worldcitizen (15982) 2014-02-09 16:05

Hello Gert,
It's always a treat to see these gingerbread houses. They are so unique and beautiful. It's a shame that more people can't have the opportunity to see them firsthand like you have, due to the volatile situation in Yemen. Interesting action in the foreground. It seems like everyone owns a Toyota pick-up truck. :-)

imageme (1790) 2014-02-09 18:58

Hi Gert, The Gingerbread buildings are cute and with unique design on them. The market in the front is busy and full of actions. I like the colourful tents and the umbrella tops because they give nice contrast to the composition. Great light and everything is in details. Thank for sharing
Anna

macjake (98262) 2014-02-09 21:11

Hi Gert
there are those white trucks again with the red paint on the side...did they have ANY OTHER TRUCKS available for sale? :)

I wonder how i'd be recieved traveling in Yemen today? say for example, in this city here.
because it looks like there are wonderful and interesting photo opps at every turn!

love the activity, the commotion, and of course the buildings. Oh to be able to get inside a local home like that!!!!

excellent post.
good to see you back
cheers
craig

SnapRJW (31631) 2014-02-09 22:05

Hello Gert - These buildings are so distinctive and your title encapsulates the style of them perfectly! I love this busy market scene and again I notice that there are no women around - clearly buying and selling is 'mans' business'. Visiting Yemen must have been a fantastic experience, it seems to have such a traditional way of life. I hope all the upheavals in the Arab world do not impact to negatively on the DL of ordinary people. Warm regards and TFS this. Rosemary

emka (157292) 2014-02-09 22:36

Hello Gert, I was worrying that you were absent, I am glad it was just overload with work. This Yemen architecture is really amazing, really unique in the world and worth seeing. Very attractive scene of the busy market day. The colourful umbrellas also add interest. Giood title, the houses look really like made from gingerbread. It is a pity there is now not recommended direction for travel.
I am back from northern countries, I enjoyed my trip very much in spite of not always good weather.
Warm regrads MAlgo

kasianowak (17672) 2014-02-09 22:45

Hi Gert
What an intresting photo! I must admit (blushing) I don't know much about this fascinating country and never seen photos of these buildings (indeed gingerbread houses they are).
Best wishes
Kasia

Romano46 (18472) 2014-02-10 1:04

Ciao Gert
anche questa foto, per quanto scattata alcuni anni fa, appare sempre attuale. L'incontro delle famose case torre di Sana e del mercato con i suoi colori è possibile vederlo ancora nei documentari più recenti.
Straordinari i colori e riuscita ottimamente la scannerizzazione dalla Kodachrome.
Complimenti
Ciao e buona settimana
Romano

photographer_sg (6059) 2014-02-10 3:42

Hello Gert
The architecture of the buildings in the back ground with the intricate patterns is really unique. The bustle of the market is similar to that of many Indian towns. I liked the vivid colours and the clouds in the BG that seem to set up a special mood for the picture. Thanks for sharing and have a nice day.
Satya

kato (11630) 2014-02-10 4:06

Hello Gert,

You're capturing well this cityscape by a good composition and excellent tone/clarity, so it's interesting and impressive to see the market with parasol and tent in square and the facade of building with the arabic design in back. Here looks like the city with un unique atmosphere of Arabian Peninsula for me.

Kind regards,
mikio

Fis2 (169903) 2014-02-10 5:04

Witaj Gert!
Curious photo from daily life.
A very interesting buildings.
Good frame and nice colors.
Well done.
Have a nice afternoon
Krzysztof

abmdsudi (95869) 2014-02-10 5:07

Hi Gert
I really like your photo journalistic approach here. The locals are set within the context of their everyday lives as we get a glimpse of the environment in which they live. It's a nice shot with mass of detail complemented by the eye catching backdrop. I think there is as much charm in this picture because its all coming from the aged olde feel to it. You have brought all the elements so expertly together with the bread houses as strong pointer. Fine capture, Congrats
Best regards

Subhogen (4067) 2014-02-10 5:14

Hello Gert,
You have captured very well the busy atmosphere from this Yemeni market. Great choice of title, too good. The design on the houses are simple yet so attractive and photogenic. I have never seen anything from Yemen, except your photos on TE so I really enjoy them learning something new from a country not so well known to the outside world. Thanks for sharing.
Regards,
Subho

Miguel82 (47110) 2014-02-10 5:54

Dear Gert, that part of Sanaa is a treasure of architecture and patrimony to save, so charming buildings, crowd in the market, I can imagine the atmosphere of the thousands and one nights by evening, it's also a very hot climate, excellent hues, neat picture, all the best, have a good start of week

serp2000 (47063) 2014-02-10 7:01

Hej, Gert,
Architecture is great! Glad to hear about UNESCO patronage, but I'd like to say again this is not the best place for tourist walk again. Anyway I like this report from Sanaa. Good register.
Best wishes,
Serghei

rychem (72187) 2014-02-10 8:25

That's right, the houses look like made of gingerbread , beautiful architecture, nice scene and excellent reportage photo
Regards
Ryszard

Nicou (193806) 2014-02-11 1:04

Hlelo

quelle vue et iamge cette place avec toute l'animaiton ce voitures, ce marché ces personnage et en fond ces mervielleux édiffice quelle architecture et vue.
Bravo et amitié
Nicou

lousat (138703) 2014-02-11 2:53

Hi Gert,this pic is absolutely beautiful! What a new great piece of history from your precious archive,one of the most rich composition of your gallery showing us the typical facades of Sana'a ,great work with the scanner and PP as usual.Have a nice day and thanks,Luciano

wolf38 (30) 2014-02-11 4:54

Hello Gert. The Jemern is an inexhaustible topic. The country has so many facets that you may be limited only to the most important thing. Some only shoot landscapes. Still others focus on the particular architecture. Your photos have a bit of everything - with ever the focus is on people. Also, today's photo shows an archaic scene. We know the Yemen superficial, but a lot is not accessible to us.
Best rgds, Wolfgang.

Silvio1953 (220775) 2014-02-11 12:45

Ciao Gert, great view of fantastic hoses, lovely composition with beautiful sky, excellent clarity, splendid light and wonderful colors, very well done my friend, ciao Silvio

subhendu_bagchi (26091) 2014-02-11 18:11

namaste Gert,
simply beautiful composition. I like the daily life shot with nice architectures in background. Excellent depth and nice light management in such harsh light condition. Very good one. Tfs.
S

fabbs99 (17179) 2014-02-11 19:11

Hello Gert,

Welcome back ! The gingerbread houses really look some kind of toy-houses.Great design but a bit tilted, which makes it dangerous for living.Exceptional shot and very well presented.TFS.

Cheers
Farhat

Royaldevon (85678) 2014-02-12 7:05

Hello Gert,

Thank you for this, it is a peep inside a region that I am sure I would never, otherwise, have seen.
You are right about the houses. They remind me of some of the old houses we have in the U.K. where a vertical wall is a rarity!
These houses are so different, so beautifully decorated but with a very distinctive, eastern style.
I love the sense of business in the f/g.
I can imagine the noise, the smells, the general hustle and bustle.
I like you w/s, too!

My warm regards,
Bev :-)

COSTANTINO (115673) 2014-02-12 12:17

Hello dear friend
how many beautiful and interesting photos
you have from your visits to those countries
photos showing details of other civilazations
you must publish a book or a poster
great collection of worthseeing photos
you say that this is not a great shot
but it is so many details together
very well composed thanks for it
regards
Costantino

chrislo (4099) 2014-02-14 9:41

Hello Gert,
Good capture of this busy market scene, with a nice POV showing the wonderful Yemeni architecture of Sanaa. These beautiful gingerbread-looking buildings seem to have weathered the centuries without losing their magnificence. I like the messy atmosphere which is so typical to the Middle-East countries. Obviously, this market is a man's affair, as I don't see any woman here. Anyway, this town is really a photogenic place and you have presented it superbly.
Kind regards,
Christian

jcpix (14030) 2014-02-14 19:13

Hi Gert,

I beg to differ, I think this is a wonderful shot! I truly enjoy the daily life activity set against this most intriguing backdrop of architecture and style. It looks very active, full of vibrant life and beautiful design. I very much agree with your assessment that people and faces sure make the places! :) The somewhat frenetic atmosphere is well portrayed through this imagery. A fine look back, and I hope to see many more from your collection. Enjoy the weekend. Take good care.

Friendly wishes,

Jason

adramad (72622) 2014-02-15 9:54

Hello Gert,
A splendid composition that conveys all the intense activity in the streets, with its stalls selling thousands of items, the bottom view of these houses, unique in style around the world, make the image into a treat for the eyes .
The colors and brightness are very well.
Very good scan.
Well done.
Enjoy the weekend.
Best wishes.
Luis.

nikkitta (17070) 2014-02-15 12:22

Hola Gert
After watching the WS what I suspected is confirmed, there is a new city at the side of this incredible one

Great o have you back with these unique old captures of this city well descripted by the title
Like the way you present this with men , cars and plastic on the front
Some of the houses have traditional windows it seems
Very well done
Maria
Did you have some photo of your hotel, seems it was located in that kind of house

claudeD (47754) 2014-02-20 23:06

Hello Gert,

wonderful picture from Sanaa showing this interesting daily life and market scenery. Excellent composition and fine light managment.I like the view very much.TFS.

With regards from Luxembourg

JC

adores (46979) 2014-03-07 15:58

Hi Gert!
The photos of this city are always great,I find these houses simply amazing and unique and the market gave you a colourful foreground, full of life. A good shot, you're really lucky, you had the chance to see it in the old days. Now it's practically impossible!

mcmtanyel (67819) 2014-03-08 12:49

Hi Gert,
And how do they taste? Just kidding! You are right, they do look like gingerbread houses. A brilliant, well preserved slide with lovely colors.
Regards,
MT

Nard (6972) 2014-03-13 13:54

Hi Gert
Incredible and splendid architecture, a country we want to visit. Nice picture.
Regards
Bernard

Tigerlily (3381) 2014-04-27 12:01

Ancient wonder... full of life, beautifully taken. Thanks Gert.

ecmel (1782) 2015-03-19 4:53

Hello Gert,
Your composition is full of life and color with historic charm of mud-brick “tower houses".
Thanks for sharing,
Ecmel

Cricri (176) 2016-10-28 23:19