Yemen, the Happy Arabia

For centuries, heavily laden caravans journeyed from easternmost parts of Yemen to the Mediterranean. The cargo was frankincense, the beguiling fragrance of the Orient. Kingdoms and powers came and went. Yemen bewitches every visitor who ventures there, a veritable treasure chest of old Arabian Culture and History, fascinating countryside and hospitable people.

In the heart of the old town of Sana’a one can easily believe that time has stood for centuries – one of the oldest towns in the world. Legends said that the son of biblical Noah, Sem, founded the city. Renowned as a refuge of peace, it was a place where fighting was not permitted.
Multi-storied houses built from clay tiles with alabaster windows and white chalked facades, still adorn the old city. At the shops in the narrow winding streets of the souk one can purchase everything, jewellery of amazing beauty, uniquely shimmering cloths, frankincense and a multitude of aromatic spices.

Throughout the generations, the people of Yemen’s Mountain Region have converted steep slopes into step formed cultivable land with geometric clarity.

High in the craggy and rocky mountainous region small and picturesque dwellings cling to the rocky faces. This rugged region of Yemen is naturally well fortified and the people who live here have always lived in safety. The landscape though harsh, instils a sense of harmony. All cities in this area whether Hajjah, Mahwiet or Menakha, have good road connections and can be reached from San’a in one hour or two. Towards the South of Yemen the city Taiz dominates with its majestic Mosques.

In the plains of the Tihama stand rounded huts, acting as heralds to the nearby Africa. Here women walk around without veil. The near untouched sandy beaches of the Red Sea stretch from the old coffee harbour Mocha to the far North. Today the ruins of Mocha still stand proud in the sand dunes as testimony to the bygone greatness of the coastal town. From here coffee was transported to Europe for hundreds of years. To the South, the thousand mile coast is washed with the waves of the Indian Ocean. The narrow sea passage of Bab al Mandeb is only 25 miles wide - with Djibouti, Africa on the other side. This is where the Red Sea ends and the Gulf of Aden and the Arabian Sea starts. 380 miles of sandy beaches stretches between the old port of Mukalla and the economic center of Aden. The ancient harbour of Qana once stood near of Bir Ali, the most famous starting point of the frankincense road, located a couple of miles west of Mukalla.

After a long period of isolation, the Wadi Hadramout in the East of Yemen has also opened its welcoming arms for foreigners. Enclosed from the mighty table mountains, a fertile valley stretches before one like a carpet, with a jewelled chain of oasis towns as pearls in the barrenness of the desert.

The Wadi remained a very remote, almost sealed area until the reunion of Yemen in 1990. Travellers are very astound by what they see in the city of Shibam, described as the “Chicago of the desert”. Densely built skyscrapers with nine floors had existed here for more than five hundred years. It is rare in the world to find such a rich variety collected in such a small area. The surrounds of the Hadramout gives the visitor a feeling of being in a paradise on earth.

Yemen promises an unforgettable experience - a journey through a living ancient times, yet only a few hours flight away from Europe.