From Sanaa to Aden in Warsaw [Archives:1998/06/Last Page]

In December 1997 the Sanaa Arab Center for Science & Researches hosted an exhibition prepared by the Asia and Pacific Museum in Warsaw entitled “Polish Muslims.” It illustrated the tradition, customs, habits and contemporary life of several thousand of a large Muslim community – the descendants of Tatars, who settled inthe northeastern provinces of Poland some six centuries ago. The clear message ensuing from this exhibition referred to the historical spirit of religious tolerance of the Polish society that accepted the Muslim community, and peacefully cohabited with it for so many centuries.
Now we learn that the Asia and Pacific Museum in Warsaw, which celebrates this year the 25th anniversary of its existence, has prepared its new 500 jubilee exhibition. It was officially inaugurated in the Museum’s premises in Warsaw on January 29 under the title “From Sanaa to Aden – People and Architecture of Yemen” and will stay open until March 31, 1998. No doubt that this fact reflects the growing interest of the Polish society towards the Muslim world in general, and the Yemeni culture in particular.
The 74 photographs, carefully selected out of over 300 as made last year by a devoted traveler Mr. Jacek Drozd, a Polish engineer working and living for the past ten years in Abu Dhabi, showed the contemporary life of the Yemeni people, their traditions, customs, habits and ceremonies is illustrated. Mr. Drozd is a member of the National Geographic Society (U.K.) and the photo club Association of the Republic of Poland. His photographs received several awards in the past, including that given by the Ministry of Culture and Information of the U.A.E.
“Artistically fascinating and highly professional” is how Mr. Andrzej Wawrzyniak, director of the museum, described the exhibited photographs. According to him, “They create an extremely rich background allowing to get to the core of the atmosphere and the cultural climate of this unique and legendary country.” Some 50 artifacts, mostly typical Yemeni jambias and silver jewelry add to the picturesque and authenticity of this exhibition. It is worth mentioning that the current exhibition is the second on Yemen in the history of the Asia and Pacific Museum in Warsaw, the first was organized in 1992.
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