Uncategorised
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08 May 2024
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Yemen
Yemen is located in Asia, at the southern tip of the Arabian peninsula. It's a predominantly mountainous terrain with its capital in Sana'a, one of the oldest cities in the world. Its territory includes more than 200 islands; the largest being Socotra. Although now plagued by incessant political, ethnic, and religious upheavals, the country is a gem of culture and nature.
Its southern coastal regions are hot and humid, the central highlands hot in the summer but cold during winter. The best time of the year to tour Yemen is between October and April. Visitors in Yemen should dress lightly avoiding warm clothing except during winter. Women should dress decently and may be expected to cover their hair.
The major ethnic demographic in the country is Arab and the Yemeni speak modern standard Arabic as their official language. Apart from the standard Arabic dialect, at least five other Arabic dialects are spoken across the cities. Very few people speak English.
Although the cuisine of choice of the Yemeni, Saltah differs slightly from region to region, it is considered the national dish. The Yemeni are forbidden to indulge in alcohol and only a few hotels are given license to sell.
Yemen has some colourful festivals such as the Al-Baldah Tourist Festival celebrated each year on the 10th of August, the Sana'a Summer Festival which takes place during July and the Mouloud Festival.
The Yemeni partake in the traditional sports of horse and camel racing. They highly value this sport and most times open festivals with some camel racing.
Some interesting tourist sites in Yemen are:
- The old city of Sana'a: Basically everything within this ancient city built in the Islamic architectural fashion is a historical landmark.
- The sand beaches of Socatra Island: The island is isolated by the deep waters of the Arabian sea and sports a number of beautiful sand beaches.
- Haraz Mountains: Yemen boasts a number of impressive mountains which are great for mountain climbing, trekking and hiking.
- The Al-Saleh Mosque: The Al-Saleh mosque is situated in Sana'a and is one of the most prominent historical attractions of Yemen.
- Bottle Trees, Socotra: These trees with huge stems which are thicker at the base and thinner at the crown, grow in Socotra.
Other places are the Ancient Tombs, Sana'a, the Yemeni fortress, Sana'a, the Sand Dunes, Socotra Island.
Accommodation in Yemen ranges from simple village guest houses to restored sultans' palaces to five-star hotels. Most hotels in Yemen are in Sana'a.
Yemen has four UNESCO World Heritage Sites. The Historic Town of Zabid inscribed in 1993, The Old City of Sana'a inscribed in 1986, The Old Walled City of Shibam inscribed in 1982, Socatra inscribed in 2008.
