The Military Museum (Part 1 of a series)Yemen’s great history and heritage [Archives:2007/1050/Last Page]
By: Fatima Al-Ajel
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Museums are a mirror of a nation's civilization and strong proof of its heritage. Likewise, Yemen's museums offer some of the proof of the richness of its civilization. Journeying through Yemen's Military Museum in Sana'a, this series of articles will provide a general view of Yemeni civilization from both national and military history. This series will be published gradually, according to the order of the museums' halls, beginning with the “Era before History” or the modern Stone Age in 6,000 B.C.
Visitors should follow the museum layout, initiating their journey from the right side, where the ancient age begins. The first hall is the Ancient Yemeni Civilization Hall portraying the Stone Age, the Islamic Age and Yemeni participation in Islamic conquests and ending with the age of British occupation. Considered one of the museum's largest, the hall is divided into three sections, each illustrating a specific era of Yemeni history.
In the first section of the hall are some arrows from 6,000 B.C., which is called the Stone Age. In this age, everything is made of stone. For example, the arrows are made of stone, which displays ancient Yemeni experience in using them for various purposes, such as self-defense, shooting prey, etc.
The second part of this section portrays the pre-Islamic Age and reflects how ancient Yemenis worshipped at that time. It includes a group of inscriptions, figures, censers, statues, marble and bronze vessels related to Yemen's ancient temples.
Additionally, this section displays Islamic Age acquisitions, such as coffee calligraphy written in boards, famous Yemeni weapons and some Arab items, such as the dirham and the dinar, used during this age.
The age of foreign occupation is included in the third section of the Ancient Yemeni Civilization Hall. This section displays several guns and cannons the Turkish and British occupations used against Yemen during their occupation era, as well as photographs of several Turkish buildings in Sana'a.
Some British acquisitions also are exhibited here, including a corner displaying the tombstone of a British soldier killed in Amran governorate and some Turkish coins.
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