The Middle Eastern style palace as it stands today was actually built relatively recently, in the 1930s, by an Islamic spiritual leader named Yahya Muhammad Hamiddin, the tall palace was intended to be the leader's summer home. The Imam Yahya was assassinated in 1948, but his iconic palace still stands and has become a popular example of Yemeni architecture.
The royal residence has been converted into a museum and can be visited for a fee. I was allowed to tour this beautiful palace twice and was allowed to wander through the kitchens, storerooms and appointment rooms, which are connected by a small maze of stairs up to the fifth floor.