Literary CornerYemeni Annals (Hawliat Yamaniyah) (XI) [Archives:2007/1030/Culture]

Abu Al-Kalima Al-Tayybah
Subject Book: Yemeni Annals (Hawliat Yamaniyah)

[1224 – 1316 AH (1809 – 1898 AD)]

Author: Muhsin Bin Ahmed Al-Harazi et al

Checked and Edited by Abdullah Mohammed Al-Hibshi

Language: Arabic

Publisher: Ministry of Information and Culture

Year Published: 1400 AH/1980 AD

No. of Pages: 661

1309 AH (1891 – 1892 AD): Things get tough for the Ottomans as rebellions and lawlessness prevails in many parts of the country. Caravans are held up and robbed. The Turks even find it rough in the cities as well to the point that curfews are imposed for the first time, which is a new phenomenon to Yemen altogether. In this context, on the lighter side, the author relates a story on the lighter side. In the City of Sana'a, there was a wedding and usually at mid-evening hours, a party from the groom's side goes to fetch the bride from her home. This party of accompaniment was made up of some eight persons dressed up in battle gear as a guard of honor. A Turkish patrol met up with this party and because of the difficulties faced by the Turks in general, the inability to speak Arabic and with the members of the party being armed, the Turks suspected them to be thieves from outside of Sana'a. Efforts to explain the truth to the Turks failed and they took them to one of their bases. The party members managed to convince the Turks to let them explain to a commanding officer. It was only when it was close to dawn that one did come, who spoke Arabic, and the party was worried that the bride's family would be insulted by the delay of the party and would demand to have their honor restored. Luckily the attending Turkish Officer who came did speak Arabic and was somewhat understanding. The party was released from arrest and it took them some time to make the bride's family believe them. In the meantime, at the groom's family neighborhood, his family and their guests were worried that perhaps something had happened to their emissaries and because of the curfew, could not even try to search for their bridal party, which they never thought was under arrest, but rather thought them to have faced trouble at the bride's house and this were worried that the whole wedding ceremony was going to be a total waste of time and expense, and perhaps the beginning of a long dispute between the two clans. Then the author comments about this “new yasak”” or curfew