Oophorectomy is the surgical removal of the ovaries of a female animal. In the case of non-human animals, this is also called spaying. It is a form of sterilization.
The removal of the ovaries together with the Fallopian tubes is called salpingo-oophorectomy. Oophorectomy and salpingo-oophorectomy are not common forms of birth control in humans; more usual is tubal ligation, in which the Fallopian tubes are blocked but the ovaries remain intact.
In humans, oophorectomy is most usually performed together with a hysterectomy - the removal of the uterus. Its use in a hysterectomy when there are no other health problems is somewhat controversial.
In animals, spaying involves an invasive removal of the ovaries, but rarely has major complications; the superstition that it causes weight gain is not based on fact. Spaying is especially important for certain animals that require the ovum to be released at a certain interval (called estrus or "heat"), such as cats and dogs. If the cell is not released during these animal's heat, it can cause severe medical problems that can be averted by spaying or partnering the animal with a male.
Oophorectomy is sometimes referred to as castration, but that term is most often used to mean the removal of a male animal's testicles.
Sanaá (ﺻﻨﻌﺎﺀ, romanized Şan‘ā’, also known as Sana or Sana'a), population 1,303,000 (2000), is the capital of Yemen. It is the center of a grape growing region. Sanaá has been settled from pre-Islamic times; it was under Ethiopian rule in the 6th century. The city was occupied several times by Turkey. After 1918, when Yemen's independence was reestablished, Sanaá became its capital. The capital was moved to Taiz in 1948, but returned to Sanaá in 1962.
"La budda min Şan‘ā’" (Sanaá must be seen) are famous words first attributed to Imam Muḩammad ibn Idris al-Shafi’i (768-820) who visited the ancient capital several times.
The city of Sanaá is an Islamic cultural center, and there is a Muslim university and many mosques.
Many travelers in ancient days were impressed by the beauty of Sanaá. The well-known Yemeni geographer and historian Al Hamdani marveled at the cleanliness of the city:
The Persian traveller Ibn Rustah a contemporary of Al Hamdani noted its food,