Published on 10 May 2012 by Haykal Bafana in Culture
For the old ones who still remember a Hadhramaut without cars and roads, a journey eastwards from Seiyun to the town of Taribah would be a brisk walk of at least 4 hours. Now, it is a quick car ride of 15 minutes.
Published on 7 May 2012 by Mohammed Al-Samei in Culture
Mohammed Al-Awlaqi, an 8th grader, gets up early every day to pray Al-Fajr, the dawn prayer, reads his day's lesson in advance, and then gets ready for school.
Published on 3 May 2012 by Helene Aecherli in Culture
Visiting Yemen these days takes courage - and the urge to see beyond the headlines. But doing so, you will find treasures: People passionately struggling for a new civil society.
Traditional Sana’ani dress still in fashionPublished on 23 April 2012 by Nadia Haddash in Culture
Although fashion trends come and go, many Yemeni women continue to wear the Sana’ani curtain-style dress. Women who wear this popular style customarily adorn the dress by wrapping a piece of brightly colored cloth, called the Al-Masoon around their bodies. It was the lead up to the appearance of “curtain” in the Yemeni home, a piece of square-shaped, cotton cloth with white lines, and decorated with a black and red geometric designs. The cloth is also marked with a unique decoration that occurs in the middle of the curtain.
Driving in SeiyunPublished on 19 April 2012 by Haykal Bafana in Culture
Seiyun, with a population of about 30,000, is the main town in Wadi Hadramout.
International Orphan Day celebrated in Sana’aPublished on 16 April 2012 by Nadia Haddash in Culture
Life Makers Foundation celebrated on Friday April 6, in cooperation with the Capital governorship and the Social Care Center, the International Orphan Day in the Yemeni capital of Sana'a.
Published on 12 April 2012 by Khalid Al-Karimi in Culture
In the recent years, the number of Yemeni music bands steadily increased despite the problems they experience in Yemen’s conservative society. However, tremendous passion and talent have goaded young singers into persisting hope, for those believing that life without their music instruments is dull and mundane. Moreover, music bands are an inviting shelter for nascent melodious voices in Yemen.
Published on 12 April 2012 by Amira A. Nasser in Culture
On a February evening In Sana'a's national museum, Ahmed, 25, a young musician from Hajja, sways back and forth as he plays songs from the famous singer Abu Bakr Salem. The audience sits smiling, humming along to the song that they all know by heart.
Published on 9 April 2012 by Safiya Al-Jabry in Culture
Hand shaking between genders has become a common gesture around the world, especially in business circles. It has and will for many years be considered a warm form of greeting and peace in many cultures, but it’s still a taboo in Yemen.
Quranic schools: worship & recreationPublished on 5 April 2012 by Mohammed Al-Samei in Culture
Dozens of Quran students graduate every year from Mua'ath Quran Center in Taiz. All are graduates of a secondary school (through 12th grade.) Students come to the center from all over the governorate to study the Quran and other Islamic studies.
Published on 29 March 2012 by Mohamed Al-Samei in Culture
Love is an emotion of strong affection and personal attachment. Love is also a virtue representing all of human kindness, compassion, and affection. And it is “the unselfish loyal and benevolent concern for the good of another.” Love may also be described as actions towards others based on compassion, or as actions towards others based on affection.
Music to be an “integral part of Yemen’s development”Published on 26 March 2012 by Sadeq Al-Wesabi in Culture
Published on 22 March 2012 by Mohammed Al-Samei in Culture
Published on 19 March 2012 by Marwa Najmaldin in Culture
For a young woman looking to study, before she can attend to what suits her own desires or interests, she must first discover what the surrounding community sees as permissible for her to study. A young man must do the same, yet simply because of her gender, a woman is under a much greater pressure to do so. Not to do so may bring the condemnation of her parents, colleagues and even the whole community.
Women at Change Square: Changes of conviction, thought, and mannerPublished on 8 March 2012 by Mohammad Al-Samei in Culture
Thikra Al-Wahidi, a human rights activist, has stayed in Change Square for a long time, and has taken part in the revolutionary activities since they began. Nearly one year has passed since the beginning of the revolution, and Al-Wahdi still frequently goes back to the Change Square.
Will the Jewish silver craft survive in Yemen?Published on 5 March 2012 by Arie Amaya-Akkermans in Culture
Numbers of the once prominent Jewish community in Yemen are dwindling fast. Especially since the revolution, many Jews fled from hostility in the northern province of Sa’ada and Amran. The exact number of Jews left in the country is unknown, but government sources estimate it around 450 people, while Jewish organizations in the United States estimate it at slightly over 100 people.
Published on 1 March 2012 by Yasmeen Hameed in Culture
The place I am talking about is not Al-Ameria city in Iraq. No, the place I am talking about is an old school with wonderful architecture. The school is in Rada’, the capital city of Al-Baidha governorate. It was built by King Salah Al-Deen Amer bin Al-Mansour Bin Daood Al-Taheri in the Hijri year 910. The king was the fourth in line in the Al-Taheri kingdom, which controlled the Yemen for 65 years before the Turks took over in 1517. The kingdom was said to have many construction projects.
Published on 23 February 2012 by Marwa Najmaldin in Culture
“I felt the most sorrow about my niqab when I went to a studio to pick up photos from my graduation, but did not recognize myself. I could not pick my photo from the many veiled women,” Angham Al-Faqeeh, 30, told Yemen Times. “All the photos were similar and any could serve the purpose for graduation day.”
Valentine’s day, the Yemeni wayPublished on 16 February 2012 by Nadia Haddash in Culture
On February 14 at 7:00 p.m., the coffee shop in Sana’a’s Yemen Mall Center was turned in to a sea of red. Most stores displayed a crimson shop front, while customers decorated themselves in bright clothes – all with a hint of the color of love.
Adeni Indians: 200 years of integrationPublished on 9 February 2012 by Ibtisam Al-Assiri in Culture
The presence of Indians in Aden dates centuries back to even before the British occupation in 1839. Indian traders and sailors arrived at Aden sea port carrying merchandize and ambitions, and upon experiencing what this coastal town has to offer many decided to settle down and call it a new home.
Published on 2 February 2012 by Amira Al-Arasi in Culture
Yemeni weddings have unique customs – especially those of Sana’a, which are so popular that people all over Yemen copy them in detail. Many Sana’anis still practice old customs during social ceremonies like engagements, marriages and the celebration of newborn babies. But celebrations are about more than just one happy event.
Published on 19 January 2012 by Malak Shaher in Culture
In the time of Prophet Mohammad (peace be upon him), the call for prayer was introduced after it appeared in two of his companions’ dreams. However, hundreds of years before that, Joseph interpreted dreams for the Pharaoh of Egypt and his people. The pharaoh dreamt that seven skinny cows ate seven fat cows. Joseph told him that Egypt would bear witness to seven good years, a time when people would grow vegetables and fruits. After these seven years, the next seven years would be hard, with people forced to eat what they had saved during the previous seven years. Ever since, dream interpretation has taken up a great portion of people’s time. Yemenis are no exception to this. They try to find meaning in their dreams, and attempt to use them to predict the future and even to dictate their actions.
Published on 16 January 2012 by Saleem Shaker in ReadersView
Recently I went on a short trip to Dhamer city. When I started my journey, I got on the bus quietly. There were around 16 men and one old woman in the bus.
Published on 16 January 2012 by Nadia Al-Sakkaf in ReadersView
