Socotra: The Island of Ecstasy [Archives:2000/21/Last Page]
May 22 2000
By: Sultan Al-Thawabi
The geographical location:-
The island of Socotra as one of the biggest Yemeni islands is located on the Western side of the Gulf of Aden between latitude 12.8 – 12.42 and longitude 53.19 – 54.33 East of Greenwich north of the equator. It is 380 kms from Ras-Firtik, Al-Maharah govern orate. It has an area of 3650 Square kilometers which is twice bigger than the state of Bahrain. There are a number of small islands on its Western side including the islands of Abid- Alkuri, Sama’a, Darsa, Kara’al Faron, Hail. The island of Abid Al-Kuri is one of the most populated among these islands.
The nomination of “Socotra”-
It is difficult to trace the origin of the name “Socotra”. The Greeks named it “Duskida” which is derived from the old Yemeni name “Sukrid.” The Romans named it “Diyo starts” or “Diyostori.” The ancient Egyptians called it Ba-Itch which means eternity or ubiquity. With a number of languages spoken here, it is also known by the name of “Difia- Socotra” which means the island of happiness, ecstasy, enjoyment. In other words, its name has been associated with myth, saga and legendary tales.
Tourism in Socotra:-
Tourism in Socotra has a different magnitude. A bulk of tourists and visitors come for the purpose of sight seeing, nature, and most of them are interested in environment. As for hotels, there are only two hotels without any facilities or services. According to the census surveys, the estimated number of visitors are around 10% – 15%. The flow of the tourists depend on the services, hotels and tourist offices and other sources of attraction.
Habits/ traditions and social life:-
It is worth mentioning that life is very simple and primitive. On this island the inhabitants have a sort of a social cohesion and integration. The wedding ceremonies are attended by all men and women though they don’t allow strangers who are not from the island to attend such ceremonies. It is a tradition that the bridegroom after wedding stays in the house of the bride and not in his family’s house. Most of the youth get married at the early years of maturity. One of the most important ceremonies is the season of harvesting the dates and this takes place in March and May. The celebration is accompanied by dancing, singing and rejoicing in the beautiful ceremonial rituals conveying a sense of jubilation at this harvesting season. It is to be noted that palm trees are sacred to them. I met with a person who sold his car for fifty palm trees in which he was held in high esteem by the people. To them, his deed symbolized wisdom and signalled that he is not going to face any starvation in future.
In general there is no availability of services on the island . In other words, there is negligence particularly with regard to health for there is only one hospital lacking in adequate facilities and services. Two weeks ago, the minister of health opened the first operation theatre which is in reality an ordinary room for simple surgery. The doctors are only three of whom one is the manager and the other on his bike roaming here and there on the island, while the third one is a resident doctor. The main disease is the TB and malaria which spread as an epidemic. Two Italian doctors have reached the island to monitor the emergent program of curbing the infection of malaria. They inaugurated a workshop for this purpose. As far as TB is concerned, there is no concerted efforts to curb this disease.
The damages resulted by floods:-
The flash floods in the wadi of Hadibu last year caused a catastrophe to the plantation and houses. Help came to the people from non-government organizations but still some have not received tents and aids.
The level of education on the island is very low. There is only one secondary school. Most of the teachers arrived at the island in December which means three months after the beginning of the academic calendar. On the other hand, most of the classrooms lack the minimum facilities of a standard classroom.
Socotra historically:-
Over the centuries, Socotra has remained a part of the old Yemeni kingdoms. Historically, the island has been famous for its active trading in cyclamen, incense and Luban “chewing gum”. It may be mentioned that all these goods were considered as sacred and that is why it has been called the sacred island. Socotra has remained a mystery, a riddle and an unknown page throughout the phases of history until the century of exploration and discovery when the Portuguese were able to reach the shores of the island in 1507. Due to spirit of resistance and with the help of Dhafar sultanate, the Portuguese were ultimately compelled to leave the island. With the departure of these colonialists, the British were able to occupy it and use it a sa a military base for furthering their policies and interests in the Indian Ocean. It is difficult to give any historical background about the island, the only source that could shed some light in this regard being the kingdom of Hadhramout. Since, the islanders have no writing system, there is no recorded history to enlighten us regarding its past.
Socotra as a living museum:-
The environment of the island is one of the most wonderful, the most amazing and unbelievable in the world. In fact, it is a living museum. The trees, birds, and the natural mystery are all fantastic and unique in the world.
Adam tree or “Dam Al-Akhawain”- the blood of the two brothers:-
This tree is a strange species 0f flora on the island. It has the shape of a shady umbrella but turned upside down. As the saying goes this tree came into being with Adam’s sin and that it has emanated from Kabeel’s blood who killed his brother Habeel. There is another story which says that an elephant and a dragon got into a fight until they shed blood and out of them this strange tree grew. The red crimson fluid that flows from it is a medicinal drug for the citizens of the island and it is also used as a paint for some other uses. In general, the name of the tree has always been linked with the name of the island due to its fame and importance since ancient times. The tree grows on the mountain peaks and attains a height from 6 to 9 meters. Many legends have been woven around it one of which is that it grew from the blood of Cane and Mable when the first human crime ever took place. The other legend is that it grew from the
clotted blood that flowed from a dragon during its fight with an elephant till both got killed.
The realm of birds in Socotra:-
There are a variety of species of birds on the island which form with the plantation and marine environment a veritable paradise. It is considered one of the sanctuaries for birds to live due to the spread of natural woodlands. More than 150 species of birds live on the island. The survey registers seven kinds of birds that live in Socotra, more than 30 of them reproduce on the island whereas the rest are regarded as migrant birds.
The distribution of population:-
The population of the island are scattered among its distant mountainous terrains. Most people live on pasturing and the coastal population do fishing and pasturing for a living while the population of the valley mainly live on pasturing and plantation. The estimated population of the island is 70,000. They speak in addition to Arabic, the old Yemeni language in the dialect of Socotra and Mahara. All inhabitants profess, practice and embrace Islam.
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