Yemen ... What do we know about this country? Where is it? What interesting can you say about the cities of Yemen? Our article will introduce you to one of the most mysterious countries in the Arab world.
The country is amazing, the country is unknown ...
Are we familiar enough with a state like Yemen? I think no. Little is written about Yemen, it is rarely mentioned in news releases. Tourists and travelers also do not often visit this country. It is as if isolated, cut off from the rest of the world.
In part, this cutoff is due to the geographical position of the country. The Republic of Yemen is located at the very edge of the Arabian Peninsula and is washed by the seas of the Indian Ocean on both sides. Typical landscapes of Yemen are lifeless deserts and rocky massifs covered with sparse vegetation. In some areas of the state, rains do not happen for years.
Yemen is a rather poor country. In terms of the standard of living of citizens, it is far from an honorable 151st place in the world. The unemployment rate is about 30%. True, this indicator is largely due to the fact that women do not work here at all. It is far from safe for tourists to be in the country, especially outside the large cities of Yemen. Foreign guests can travel around the republic only accompanied by local armed “bodyguards”.
In Yemen, many men still walk in the streets with machine guns at the ready. And this is not surprising if you look at the latest history of the country. 1994 - civil war, 1995 - conflict with Eritrea, 2011 - revolution. The last conflict flared up in 2014, when Yemeni government forces clashed with the radical Shiite group Ansar Allah.
Population, economy and cities of Yemen
The population of Yemen is growing rapidly. Today, about 25 million people live here. These are mainly Arabs, as well as small groups of immigrants from India and East Africa. The latter come here, oddly enough, to earn money. For example, from Somalia, where the standard of living is even lower than in Yemen.
The economy of Yemen is based on oil production and refining, as well as agriculture. The country grows grain, cotton and beans (in oases - fruits), bred goats, sheep and camels. There are small enterprises in the textile and food industries, and crafts are developed.
Administratively, the Republic of Yemen is divided into 22 governorates and 333 districts. The country has 51 cities and over 38 thousand villages. Yemen's largest cities are listed below:
- Sana'a.
- Aden.
- Taiz.
- Hodeida.
- Ibb.
- Mukalla.
- Damar.
- Sivun.
Next, we will talk about the largest and most interesting cities in this Arab country.
Sana'a, Yemen: the capital of the republic
Every tenth Yemeni lives here. Sana'a is the largest city of Yemen and its capital. This is the main financial and cultural center of the country. Sana'a is also considered one of the oldest cities not only in Asia, but also in the whole world. The first mention of the current capital of Yemen, Sana'a dates from the first century AD. Today, the historic city center is a UNESCO World Heritage Site.
Geographically, the city of Sana'a is located in the western part of the country, in the desert tropical climate zone. Its name is translated from Arabic as "a solid, fortified building." Almost from all sides the city is surrounded by low mountains.
The modern city of Sana'a is a large metropolis with a population of 2.5 million people. It is an important center of commerce as well as the Islamic religion in the Arab world. The city has more than a hundred mosques. Sights in Sana'a are also many. Several thousand historical buildings built before the 11th century have been preserved here. Tourists are also attracted by the local bazaar, which is one of the oldest in all of Asia.
Aden City: the country's main port
Aden is the second largest city of the republic and the largest on the coast of Yemen. There is an international airport, as well as the most important transit port, located on one of the busiest sea routes of the planet. Aden is located on the shores of the bay of the same name. About it was known since ancient times.
Today, about 800 thousand people live in the city. Historically, Aden is divided into several isolated areas:
- Sina is the oldest and most populous area (historical center).
- At-Tuvahi is a district of British colonists.
- The seaport is a deep harbor of natural origin, which was "ennobled" by the English colonists and equipped by them to receive large sea vessels.
- Maly Aden is an industrial area of the city that arose on the basis of a large oil refinery.
Among the attractions of Aden are both architectural monuments of the ancient period (Syrah fortress, Gates of Aden), as well as numerous buildings of the colonial era (St. Joseph's Church, Aden Big Ben and others). The city is also known for the fact that the famous French poet Arthur Rimbaud lived in it for some time. In Aden, his house has been preserved.
Fortress city of Rada
Rada is a city in the south of Yemen (180 km from the capital), in which about 60 thousand people live. Perhaps one of the most interesting and most beautiful in the country.
In the second half of the 15th century, the city was the capital of the Tahirid kingdom, which managed to recapture Aden from the powerful and influential Rasulid dynasty. Since those distant times, he managed to maintain a unique atmosphere, as well as a number of old buildings built of unusual clay bricks. Outside, these bricks are covered with a layer of gray clay. And this layer is updated annually.
The main attraction of Rada is the medieval mosque of El Amiriya, surrounded by an impregnable fortress wall. It has one unique feature - it does not have a minaret.
Shibam - a city protected by UNESCO
This city is located within the country's largest Hadramaut governorate, in the valley of the dried river of the same name. Shibam was founded at the beginning of our era. It is famous primarily for its original architecture.
Shibam is called "Manhattan Desert." This name was awarded to him by the German journalist and traveler Hans Helfritz back in the 30s of the last century. However, all the “skyscrapers" here are built ... from ordinary clay! Due to its architecture, the city of Shibam was included in the UNESCO World Heritage List (in 1982).
The whole city pervades a wide avenue. Numerous alleys depart from it in different directions. The width of some of them does not exceed two meters. All the buildings in Shibam were built from madara - the local building material (clay-straw raw). Most of them date back to the 19th century.