Governorates of Yemen
Yemen is divided into 21 provinces:
Abyan, Adan, Al Bayda',Al-Dale'a, Al Hudaydah, Al Jawf, Al Mahrah, Al Mahwit, Amran, Ataq, Dhamar, Hadhramawt, Hajjah, Ibb, Lahij, Ma'rib, Sa'dah, Sana'a',Shaboah, Ta'izz.
Aden
Aden is a natural port, built on an old volcanic site and first used by the ancient Kingdom of Awsan between the 5th and 7th centuries B.C. The port's convenient position on the most important sea route between India and Europe, attracted the attention of the rulers of many ancient kingdoms, all of whom sought to possess it at various times throughout history.
Aden's last foreign rulers were the British, who conquered it in 1839, when it became known as the Aden protectorate. When the British left Aden in 1967, it was used as the capital of the Peoples Democratic Republic of the Yemen (PDRY). At the uniting of North and South Yemen, Aden was declared the commercial capital of the YAR and a free trade zone.
Aden consists of a number of small linked towns; the port city, the industrial city known as Little Aden with its large oil refinery, and Madinat ash-Sha'b, which is the centre of government. Two suburbs, Khormaksar and Sheikh Othman lie to the north of the old city, with the international airport situated between them.
Things to see and places to visit in Aden
The Tanks of Aden: 18 cisterns dating from the 1st century A.D., when they were probably built by the Himyarites. Situated high above the oldest part of the city on the volcanic slopes, these cisterns can store up to 45 million litres of water.
The National Museum: Situated in Crater, the old part of the city, the museum was once a sultans palace and contains many interesting archaeological finds.
The Ethnographical Museum: Open from 8am to 1pm daily. Located in a garden near the tanks.
The Military Museum: Situated on Sayla Road, Crater, this museum is open every day except Thursday, from 8.30am to 1.30pm and from 3pm to 5pm.
Hadhramawt
Shibam:Lying at the foot of the mountain below the stronghold of Kawkaban, Shibam was once the capital of a small, independent highland state. Ancient inscriptions can be found on the stones of the city gate and in other old buildings of the town. In the nearby mountainside, which rises to a height of 2,850m, there are man-made caves.
Wadi Hadhramawt: This is the largest wadi in the Arabian peninsula. Situated about 160km from the coast, it follows an east-west route for about 160km through the desert. The wadi bottom drops to a depth of about 300 metres. The region is very fertile and the local population lives on arable farming and goat-herding. There are several archaeological sites in the region, which show signs of early settlement before the 3rd century A.D.
Ibb
Situated in one of the Yemen's most lush valleys. Visit the old city, which contains some interesting old stone tower houses.
Things to see and places to visit in Ibb
Muthaikhirah: A historical district where
Djiblah: Situated 8km south of Ibb, on a hill of basalt between two connecting valleys, this is another former capital of the Yemen from the Middle Ages. It was once the chosen capital of Queen Arwa bint Ahmad (1067 AD to 1138 AD), who ruled for almost 70 years. The Mosque of Queen Arwa is also her tomb. An aqueduct in the upper slopes of the hill above the town dates from the time of the Queen and still brings water into the town from the mountains.
Zafar:Found by Imam Mansour in the 13th century, Zafar represents one of the earliest Yemeni Islamic capitals.The monuments can only be reached by a 4-hour climb, so this is not a trip for the faint-hearted.
Mareb
The capital of the Sabean Kingdom from the fifth century BC and one of Yemen's most impressive archaeological sites.
There are two dams worth visiting visit: the ancient one, dating from about 10 BC; the modern one built in 1986.
An area about 2km southwest of the old town is the site of the ancient temples of the Queen of Sheba.
Saada
This is the northernmost provincial capital of Yemen, an ancient city built of clay bricks and mud. These buildings are a perfect example of zabur architecture, dating from pre-Islamic days. The Great Mosque was built in the 12th century.
The town's ancient walls have been partly renovated and the northern gate, is worth a visit to view the strangely twisted walls which surround it. The graveyard beyond the city walls dates back to the 9th century and contains many intricately carved stone tombstones.
Sana'a
Sana'a is one of Arabia's oldest living cities, supposedly founded by Shem, one of the three sons of Noah. In the second century it was the main highland garrison town of the Sabean Kingdom, whose capital, Mareb, was situated 100km to the east, at the edge of the desert. The city's name, Sana'a, meant "fortified place".
Sana'a was twice conquered for the King of Persia and was ruled for fifty years by the Abyssinians. During this time a great cathedral was built there with the help of two architects sent by the Byzantine emperor Justinian. The cathedral is the largest Christian building south of the Mediterranean and Sana'a was, for a time, the centre of Christian pilgrimage in Arabia.
A hundred years later in 628A.D., Yemen embraced Islam and all non-Muslim palaces were destroyed, so that mosques could be built.In the late sixteenth century, Sana'a was conquered by Turansha, brother of Sala al Din, after Yemen had been chosen by the Turks as a secure retreat, should their power in Egypt crumble.
What to see in Sana'a today
The Old City: This contains houses which are more than 400 years old, built of dark basalt stone and decorated with intricate friezework. Theold city wall is extremely well preserved.
Suq al-Milh: The best time to visit Sana'a's main souk is in the morning or between 6 and 7pm, when it is a hive of activity. The name Souk al-Milh means Salt Market, but actually a wide variety of goods are on sale, such as spices, vegetables, corn, qat, pottery, raisins, copper, woodwork and clothing.The National Museum is located next to al-Mutwakil mosque, about 100 metres north of Tahrir Square. The House of Good Luck (Dar as-Sa'd) in which it is housed, was once a royal palace dating from the 1930s. The museum contains artifacts from the ancient kingdoms of Saba, Ma'rib and Ma'in, and is open daily from 9am till 12 noon and from 3 till 5pm Fridays; mornings only.The Military Museum is situated at the western corner of the same square and is open daily from 9am till 12 noon and from 4 till 8pm (except Fridays and the last Thursday of each month).Mosques: For Muslims only, these mosques are well worth a visit: al-Jami'al-Kabir (the Great Mosque) on the western side of the main souk; Salah al-Din in the city's eastern quarter; Qubbat Talha which has an interesting Turkish influence; al-Aqil, a small mosque with a beautiful minaret which is delicately lit at night; and Qubbat al-Bakiliya in the eastern part of the city, which was built by the Turks in the 17th century and restored in the latter half of the 19th century.Wadi Dhahr: A fertile wadi, about 15km north of Sana'a, with small villages and clay-walled orchards, which grows grapes, apricots, peaches, pomegranates and nuts. It is also renowned for a beautiful five-storey rock palace, Dar al-Hajar, which belonged to the Imam Yahya during the early part of this century.
The palace was built on the ruins of a prehistoric building and is now government property. It remained empty until 1990, when a renovation project commenced. Occasional visits are possible by special arrangement.
