Preserving the past Hayys: a town of antiquities [Archives:2003/06/Last Page]

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February 10 2003

BY ISMAIL AL-GHABIRI
YEMEN TIMES STAFF
The town of Hayys is located in the middle between Taiz and Hodiedah about 130 kilometers from each governorate forming one of Hodiedah’s provinces.
Bordering three governorates, the climate of the town is unique, combined with eye-catching historical and traditional cities and craftsmanship. The series of mountains surrounding the town give it extra importance, especially when sea waves start to embrace its golden coasts.
Hayys is one of the oldest towns in Yemen, and in Hodiedah in particular. The town has its own traditional, social and artistic heritage, some of which still exists today, even while others have began to vanish.
There are a lot of old sculptures in the town, recounting an old and great history dating back hundreds of years.
A historian concerned with the study of old Yemeni cities says that the first people who lived in Hayys Bin Yareen Al Hemyary from whom the name Hayys has come up. This spot of Yemeni land is rich in agricultural, cultural and commercial activities in the history of Yemen.
The fame of the town has been indicated in a number of books, such as Al Ekleel, Moa’agam Al Buldan and the Epic of Ass’ad Al kamel. Whenever you go to Hayys you get excited with its most prominent landscape, that is the Grand Mosque that was built about 800 years ago. Hayys had been and is still the place from where outstanding scholars emerged, such as for example Sheikh Omar Al Khamri, Sheikh Ahmed Al Rakeez and Ali Bin Al Ghareeb.
The people of Hayys depend on agriculture, handicrafts and fishing for their daily sustenance.
In addition, there are different rituals and customs which can be clearly, seen during wedding parties or feasts.
The pottery industry is also widely spread in Hayys and the most famous family known is this field is the Bani Al Madar family whose house and small factory is a favorite place to be visited by both local as well as foreign tourists.
You can visit the popular markets of the town from where you can get an idea about the types of dress worn by locals.
Like other historical Yemeni town there are a number of things characterizing the different aspects of life in Hayys that we need to take care of to be documented for generations to come.

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