Category: Cities in Yemen. Yemen Republic

Yemen ... What do we know about this country? Where is it? What interesting things can you tell about the cities of Yemen? Our article will acquaint you with one of the most mysterious countries of the Arab world.

The country is amazing, the country is unknown ...

Are we sufficiently familiar with such a state as Yemen? I think no. Little is written about Yemen, it is very rarely remembered in news releases. Tourists and travelers also do not often visit this country. It is supposedly isolated, cut off from the rest of the world.

Partly, this severity is explained by the geographical location of the country. The Republic of Yemen is located on the very edge of the Arabian Peninsula and is washed on both sides by the seas of the Indian Ocean. Typical landscapes of Yemen are lifeless deserts and rocky massifs covered with scanty vegetation. In some areas of the state, rain does not happen for years.

Yemen is a rather poor country. In terms of the standard of living of citizens, it takes far from being 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. Being in the country to tourists is far from safe, especially outside the large cities of Yemen. Traveling around the republic to foreign guests can only be accompanied by local armed "bodyguards".

In Yemen, many men still walk the streets with machine guns at the ready. And this is not surprising, if you read the latest history of the country. 1994 - civil war, 1995 - conflict with Eritrea, 2011 - revolution. The last conflict here flared up in 2014, when the government forces of Yemen clashed with the radical Shiite grouping Ansar Allah.

Population, economy and cities of Yemen

The population of Yemen is growing rapidly. To date, there are about 25 million people. Mostly Arabs, as well as minor groups of immigrants from India and East Africa. Strange as it may seem, the latter come here to work. For example, from Somalia, where the standard of living is even lower than in Yemen.

The economy of Yemen is based on the extraction and processing of oil, as well as agriculture. The country grows grain, cotton and beans (oases are fruits), goats, sheep and camels are bred. There are small enterprises of the textile and food industries, developed crafts.

Administratively, the Republic of Yemen is divided into 22 governorates and 333 districts. The country has 51 cities and more than 38 thousand villages. The largest cities of Yemen are listed below:

• Sana'a.
• Aden.
• Taiz.
• Hodeida.
• Ibb.
• Mukalla.
• Damar.
• Saivun.

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. It 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 of our era. Today, the historic center of the city is listed as a UNESCO World Heritage Site.

Geographically, the city of Sana'a is located in the western part of the country, in the desert tropical 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 trade, as well as an Islamic religion in the Arab world. There are more than 100 mosques in the city. Attractions in Sana'a are also many. Here, several thousand historic buildings, built before the XI century, have been preserved. Tourists are attracted to the local bazaar, which is one of the oldest in all of Asia.

The city of Aden: the main port of the country

Aden is the second largest city in the republic and the largest on the coast of Yemen. It operates 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 shore of the Gulf of the same name. About him was known since ancient times.

To date, the city has about 800 thousand people. Historically, Aden is divided into several isolated areas:

• Sina is the oldest and most populated area (the historical center).
• At-Tuwahi is a region of British colonists.
• The seaport is a deep harbor of natural origin, which was "ennobled" by English colonists and equipped for the reception of large sea vessels.
• Small Aden is an industrial district of the city that arose on the basis of a large oil refinery.

Among the sights of Aden - as monuments of the ancient period (the fortress of Syrah, the Gates of Aden), as well as numerous colonial buildings (St. Joseph's temple, Aden Big Ben and others). The city is also famous for its famous French poet Arthur Rimbaud for a time. In Aden, his house was preserved.

City-fortress Rada

Rada - a city in the south of Yemen (180 km from the capital), which is home to about 60 thousand people. 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 that time, he managed to preserve a unique atmosphere, as well as a number of ancient 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 the 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 under the protection of UNESCO

This city is located within the largest in the country governorate Hadramaut, in the valley of the same name dried up river. Shibam was founded in the beginning of our era. It is famous, first of all, for its original architecture.

Shibam is called the Manhattan of the Desert. This name was awarded to the German journalist and traveler Hans Helfric in the 30s of last century. However, all the "skyscrapers" are built here ... out of ordinary clay! Due to its architecture, the city of Shibam was included in the UNESCO World Heritage List (in 1982).

The whole city is pierced by a wide avenue. From it in different directions depart numerous alleys. The width of some of them does not exceed two meters. All the buildings in Shibam are built from madara - local building material (clay-straw raw material). Most of them date back to the 19th century.