Bab Al Yemen

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Virtual Tour of Yemen
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• The YCMES is located in Sanaa, the capital of
  Yemen. Sanaa is located in the mountains at an
  elevation of around 2250 meters (7400 feet).

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Bab Al Yemen
The famous Bab Al-Yemen (Door of Yemen) is the
gate to the Old City of Sanaa. Until about 30
years ago the entire city of Sanaa was enclosed
within this wall. Now the Old City is home to a
large and lovely suq (market).
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Sanaa
The Yemeni capital, Sanaa dates back to the
Sabaean Dynasty in the 6th Century BC. The Yemen
College of Middle Eastern Studies is conveniently
located in this fascinating historical city.
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Sanaa
The old city of Sanaa contains many fascinating
examples of traditional archecture. The tower
homes are constructed of volcanic rock, red brick
and mud and detailed in with gypsum, the tallest
at 9 stories.
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Old Sanaa
Old Sanaa is considered by many historians to be
the oldest, continuously-inhabited city in the
world. It has many layers of history, but since
around 628 has been a Muslim city. The city lies
2200 meters above the sea (over 7,000 feet).
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Old Sanaa
This ancient, fortified city has been inhabited
for more than 2500 years and contains a wealth of
intact architectural gems. It was declared a
World Heritage City in 1984, with 103 mosques, 14
hammams, and over 6,000 houses.
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Inside the Great Mosque
There are more then 100 mosques in the city of
Sanaa. The call to prayer is not fully
synchronized, producing an eerily beautiful
echoing melody. The Great Mosque (shown here) is
one of the oldest mosques in Yemen, renovated by
the famous queen Arwa bint Ahmed, but originally
said to have been built during the life of the
Prophet Muhammad.
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Suq in Old Sanaa
The large suq in the Old City of Sanaa is
renowned for its beauty and the variety of its
colors, scents, sights and sounds. The suq
al-maadin metal market is pictured here.
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Spice Suq
One of the most popular attractions is Suq
al-Milh (Salt Market), where it is possible to
buy not only salt but also bread, spices,
raisins, cotton, copper, pottery, silverware,
antiques, and a host of other goods.
The historic suq in the Old City has been used as
a market for over 1,000 years, and is still
flourishing today.
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Jambiyas
A jambiya is a short dagger worn by men in Yemen.
Jambiyas are constituted of a handle, a blade and
a sheath in which the blade is held. They come in
many shapes, colors and materials indicating the
wearers rank and affiliations.
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Traditional Yemeni Lunch
The midday meal is the main meal of the day in
Yemen. Traditional meals, consisting of rice,
bread, meat vegetables and the ubiquitous
stew-like dish salta, are a eaten with the hands
from communal dishes on the floor.
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Wedding Party
Weddings are often a community event in Yemen.
Large gatherings complete with lighted streets,
music dance and fireworks are a frequent sight
year round.
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Wadi Dhar
About 15km north of Sana'a is a green and fertile
valley known as Wadi Dhar (a wadi is a seasonal
river, typically found in a deep narrow valley
and dotted with oases.) There are many small
villages scattered along its length and some
spectacular rock formations.
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Dar Al-Hajar Rock Palace
Imam Yahya, king of Yemen (1911-48) built the
five-storey palace in the 1930s as a summer
residence. Building a palace in such an
extraordinary place was not his idea there were
already ruins of a prehistoric building on top of
the hill. The site is now a museum housing
historic photographs.
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YLC Student Field Trip Thula, Kawkabaun,
Shibam
Our all-inclusive Arabic study package offers a
day trip to Thula, Kawkabaun, and Shibam.
Students experience the feel of small village
life, with a traditional lunch in Kawkabaun, and
then a hike down to Shibam.
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Thula
Like many of the villages surrounding Sanaa,
Thula is of pre-Islamic origin.  Its architecture
is one of the finest examples of stone work in
Yemen. Like many of Yemens mountain villages the
Thula is water feed by traditional cisterns.
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Kawkabaun
An important stronghold during the Turkish
occupation of lowland regions of the Yemen,
Kawkaban served to protect the town of Shebam
below. It is built at the summit of a 350-metre
cliff. The city rises high into the mountains,
and indeed the name Kawkaban means that it is
close to the heavens.
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Kawkabaun
Dating far back into antiquity Kawkaban is the
upper town of Shibam and can be reached by a
paved path which follows the flank of the cliff,
at 3000m Kawkaban dominates the region. Shibam,
lower down, is the former capital of the
Yaffouride Dynasty (861 - 956 AD).
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Shibam Valley
First time visitors to Yemen are often surprised
at the lushness of its green valleys and
mountains.
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Shihara
The Shihara Bridge was constructed in the 17th
century yet is employed today as if it were a
modern span. Shihara was an important launching
site for the resistance against Ottoman
occupation through both Turkish invasions,
heavily fortified and equipped with its own water
reservoirs. 
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Student Field Trip Manakha
During a day trip to the Haraz Mountains,
students visit the villages of al-Hajjerah,
al-Hoteib, and have a Yemeni lunch followed by
live, traditional music and dancing in Manakha.
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Student Field Trip Manakha
Manakha is a quiet village located at about 2300
meters in the Haraz Mountains. The area is a
great location for hiking, with the tallest peak
above the city at 3300 meters (almost 11,000
feet).
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Terraced Agriculture in Manakha
The technology of agricultural terracing has been
used in Yemen for thousands of years. The
terraces have been in production perhaps since
2500 B.C., making them amongst the oldest in the
world. -William Harms 1997
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Al Hoteib
Al Hotieb is a small village high on Jebal
Massar. The site of the tomb of 6th century
Ismaili scholar Hattem bin Ibrahim bin al-Hussein
al-Hamdani. The location is a pilgrimage site
for Ismailis from the Indian subcontinent.
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Al Hajjerah
The historical village of Al-Hajjerah rises on a
mountainous top. Vehicles are forbidden in the
walls of the city. Historically Al-Hajjerah was
home to the large community of Yemeni Jews.
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Mahweet

• The YCMES offers optional hiking treks through
  the beautiful mountains of the Mahweet area, one
  of the greenest in all of Yemen. These treks
  follow century old trails from village to village
  through some of the most dramatic scenery in
  Yemen.

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Hodeidah Marina
Al-Hodeidah is home to the most important fish
market in the country. Sambuks, dhows and other
boats from all over the Red Sea assemble each
morning with the most extraordinary variety of 
exotic seafood which, in a few hours, will reach
the tables of the main cities of Yemen and the
world.
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Zabid

• Declared a UNESCO World Heritage Site in 1994,
  Zabid was added to the danger list from its poor
  conservation. Originally founded in the earliest
  years of Islam, Zabid exhibits typical
  Tihama-style architecture of courtyard houses. It
  is famous for its great Islamic learning in 62
  madrasas (22 existing today), which attracted
  students from all over the Muslim world.

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Kamaran Island

• Kamaran Island used to be home to a British
  military post, but today is visited for its
  beautiful, secluded beaches and remarkable
  mangrove forests.

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Student Field Trip Hadramawt
Our Special Summer Arabic Language Program for
University Students includes a 5 day trip to The
Hadramawt, visiting Seyun, Tarim, Shibam, and
Marib.
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Marib
The remains of two Sabaean temples can be found
outside the modern town of Marib. Marib was the
Sabaean Ma'rib, where a large temple was built.
The mighty Sabaean civilization endured for about
14 centuries and was not based trade, but on
agriculture. The impressive dam, built at Ma'rib
in the 8th century, provided irrigation for
farmland and stood for over a millennium.
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Marib
The ruins of the ancient city of Marib are
located just outside the present Marib city. It
is famous as the location of the ancient
fortified city of Ma'rib and its associated dam,
principal centre of the pre-Islamic state of
Saba' (950115 BC).
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Old Marib
The ruins of the ancient city of Marib are
located just outside the present Marib city. It
is famous as the location of the ancient
fortified city of Ma'rib and its associated dam,
principal centre of the pre-Islamic state of
Saba' (950115 BC).
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Beduin Living
The population of Yemen is a largely settled,
However the Rub al-Khali and surrounding area is
home to many Bedouin groups. This picture was
taken by the President of the YCMES after having
received some roadside assistance from a Bedouin
family.
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Sabaean Writing
The remnants of Yemens rich and long history are
evident everywhere. Sabaean writing can be found
on the ruins of the Sabaean capital in Marib.
The Minaean (1200650 B.C.) and Sabaean (750115
B.C.) kingdoms were very influential in the
ancient world because of their instrumental role
in the spice and incense trade . The Sabaean
kingdoms most famous ruler was Queen Bilqis,
more commonly known as The Queen of Sheba.
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Lady Farmers in Hadhramout
Distinctively dressed female farmers are a common
sight in the fields of the Hadramawt. Women play
a very active role in Yemeni agriculture
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Tarim
It was capital of Hadramawt Kingdom, and was
named after king Tarim Hadramout ibn Sheba in the
tenth century. Historical text record that Tarim
once had 365 mosques, and over 300 clerics. It
remains an important center of Islamic learning,
drawing students from the Asian sub-continent and
Latin America. Tarim also boasts the tallest
minaret in Yemen, pictured here.
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Seyun
Seyun is dominated by the Kathiri sultans
palace, now the Museum of the Hadhramawt. Seyun
is one of the oldest Yemeni cities, historical
documents confirm its existence during the 2nd
millennium BC.
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Shibam - Hadhramout
Dating to the third century B.C., Shibam is a
cluster of 500 clay, stone and wood structures,
some eight stories high. Shebam reportedly
contained the tallest building in the
pre-industrial. These spectacular towers have
earned Shibam the moniker the Manhattan of the
Desert."
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Al Mukallah
Al Mukalla is the main city of wadi Hadramawt,
and one of the busiest cities in the country. It
is, mainly, because the importance and activity
of its harbor, more important than Aden or Qana
at the moment.
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Jiblah

• Jiblah is the former capital of the wealthy,
  lush highlands in southern Yemen. It prospered
  under Queen Arwa bint Ahmads 52 year rule, and
  continues today 850 years later. Her great
  mosque is shown in the top picture.

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Taiz

• Taiz was known as the educational center during
  Yemens revolution and prospered from its
  critical role in that time. It is the seat of
  the most populated governorate in Yemen, and
  today is a bustling, commercial city. There is
  an old town in Taiz, which boasts mosques and a
  fortress dating back to the 11th Century. Women
  are also seen much more openly in the city.

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Aden

• Aden is undoubtedly the most well-known city in
  Yemen to foreigners due to its historical
  importance as a international port city, its fame
  under the British occupation, and the terrorist
  attack on the USS Cole in 2000. The city has a
  much different feel than the rest of Yemen, most
  likely due to its geographically uniqueness
  situated on a crater and its establishment under
  the Brits. Its pre-historic cisterns are a
  must-see and shown on top.

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Beit Qateena

• Though virtually unknown to almost all visitors
  to Yemen, Beit Qateena has a special relationship
  to the YCMES, which has been doing special
  programs for its students to the region to offer
  a picture of tribal, village life. During these
  visits, students often meet the Sheikh of the
  region, visit natural springs, and trek through
  its beautiful scenery.
• (Pictured is the Sheikhs son with his house in
  the background)

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Socotra Island

• Socotra Island, located 350 km off the southern
  coast of Arabia, is one of the most unique places
  found in Yemen. It is also one of the most
  isolated places on earth geographically
  separated for 250 million years with over 700
  endemic species of flora, fauna, and animals
  found only on this island. For these reasons, it
  has earned the nickname, The Other Galapagos,
  though, the island is much more populated than
  its sister, with around 40,000 local inhabitants.
  Great strides are being taken to preserve the
  island for eco-tourism only.

Pictures by Harf Zimmerman, New York Times
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