By Layla Al-Sabahi ~
Lies beneath the Peninsula Yemen, a nation whose elegance and poise have their origins in stories of strife. Yet to the adventurous traveler, Yemen opens her arms in welcome and proves to be history, art, heritage—jewel of Middle Eastern culture fabric.
A Cut in Stone and Legend History
Yemeni history itself goes back thousands of years into prehistory through to Sabaean Kingdom, i.e., that of legendary Queen Sheba. Myth and legend of mysterious lady go as far as religious scripture and legend both, right back to one into tapestryed history of Yemen. Loafing in Shibam skyscrapers constructed of mud, or the hand of the “Manhattan of the Desert,” or shaped out along Marib’s archaeological trail is an individual who lives in this suffocating inheritance of forebears’ blood and sweat offered in relinquishing this inheritance. (More about Shibam architecture at UNESCO World Heritage). Sana’a, the capital city of Yemen, is an open-air museum. UNESCO World Heritage Site, architectural work, multi-storey building with geometrically well-put together form and rain-colored stained-glass windows named qamariyah. Pedestrian walkway Sana’a city roads are pedestrian pages of history; rhythm of life is in era-old buildings so lifestyle as well as heritage is a price of loss to time. (Experience Sana’a heritage here: UNESCO Sana’a)
The Yemen Rhythms and Legends
There is Yemeni hedonism that leads to there being a cultural spasm. There is soul-worthy eating, music, poetry, and history-wiped dancing. Oud and darbuka such divine instruments with accompaniment in re-creating a Yemeni landscape to the full in every sense—tragedy and ecstasy. The rhythms themselves speak of generations ago’s shared life, struggles, and triumphs handed over to descendants by ancestors to contemporary Yemeni.
An Invitation to the Table
No description of Yemeni society would be complete without its food—a spicy imitation of tradition.
Mandi and Zurbian, the two evening meals, each an imitation of a combination of pungent spice, long-cooked meat, and fragrant rice. To dine Yemeni is to be wrapped in the aroma of welcome and greeting, where people, varied cultures, and histories converge at the table. It is precisely such a table communism that had been the air and blood of Yemeni table life, i.e., a blend of hostessing and hospitableness to forms of visitation that share the eating service. (For Yemeni recipes, see TasteAtlas). Challenges and Unblemished Perseverance Contemporary Yemen is beset on all sides by ginormous challenges—political turbulence, human suffering, and how all these are shaming its heritage.
And in the middle of all these wars, Yemeni resilience shines so magnificently. The peoples and societies go out of their way to maintain their heritage, arts, and history and put Yemen at the center of Yemen. Preservation safeguarding steps in an effort to maintain their heritage locally and globally aim at keeping this valuable heritage so that it’s not only reproducible everywhere in Yemen but also the rest of the world. (More on UNESCO efforts towards preservation). A Gem Yet to be Discovered
Yemen is longer than an eyeblink of war news.
It’s a testament to its people, and to the unshatterable will of its culture.
Its decaying houses, its past, and its nighttime concerts and foul-tasting cuisine all sum up to somewhere in the Middle East. In the quest of getting the tourist so that he will travel there, Westerners know that Yemen is a gateway to a life where man and history are so within grasp—some sort of cultural diversity which one may abhor.
