Jabal Nuqum is the rocky mountain that rises immediately east of the old city — a 2,892-metre peak that has loomed over Sana'a for as long as the city has existed and traditionally formed a defensive backdrop on its exposed eastern flank. The slopes are dotted with watchtowers and ruined fortifications, and a series of footpaths leads up from the city to the summit.
The walk is steep but not technical, and the reward at the top is the best possible overview of Sana'a: the old city laid out in its walls below, the new city sprawling to the south and west, and the surrounding ridges fading into the haze. Allow most of a morning for the ascent, more in summer when the sun is harsh.