Yemen’s pavilion in Japan drew millions of visitors [Archives:2005/882/Culture]
October 3 2005
 |
Socotra a key theme:
Much of Yemeni Pavilion's efforts were devoted to Soctora which was introduced as a key theme under the title “Soctora: Gift of Nature.” Socotra is the largest of the Yemeni isles and is the main island in Socotra Archipelago. It is in the Indian Ocean, at the entrance to the Gulf of Aden, with an area of 3,625 square kms and about 50,000 inhabitants. It lies about 340 km off the coast of the Yemeni mainland. Due to its distinct biodiversity, it was featured as a main theme in the Yemen Pavilion at the 2005 World Exposition, Aichi, Japan. It is one of the ten most important islands in the world because of its distinct biodiversity that has been conserved due to the island's isolation and inaccessibility. In June 2003, UNESCO designated the Socotra Archipelago as a Biosphere Reserve, recognizing it as an area where development has the potential to proceed without impairing the natural environment.
Another theme was “Wisdom of Heritage.” Heritage in its different forms is our legacy and displays masterpieces of human creative genius. The Yemeni culture takes pride in a considerable depositary of cultural heritage in material and oral forms. Examples of the oral heritage are sayings (proverbs), dialects and folk poetry. Material heritage is manifest in the Yemeni architecture which is still bearing witness to the craftsmanship of Yemenis. Examples are found in the Old City of Sana'a, old walled city of Shibam and historic town of Zabid.
Interior design:
The design of the Yemeni pavilion revealed the characteristics of amazing Yemeni architecture and gave a glimpse into Yemen's history. It encompassed architectural elements from the renown city of Sam – Sana'a.
The interior of the pavilion reflects the sub-themes, both architecture and natural landscape. The space of the two-floor pavilion was divided into different places with different elements including Yemen's virgin nature best epitomized in Socotra. A model of the dragon's blood tree was featured. To show Yemen's past role in ancient world trade and dominance over trade routes, models of the Sabean Kingdom such as Bilqis Throne -which throve in Marib- were displayed
The second floor was designed as a mini museum in which some antiquities tell visitors many things about ancient Yemeni history of magnificence and prosperity. There was also the Yemeni traditional Dewan – rectangular decorated sitting room where men usually gather and chew qat.
The souk area showed visitors the peerless traditional handicrafts that compelled wonder.
Exterior design:
The exterior design reflected the elements from the old city of Sana'a and the old walled city of Shibam – two cities on the list of the World Heritages. The front aspect was constructed from Yemeni domestic building materials worked out by Yemeni craftsmen.
The participation of Yemen was boosted by the unique pavilion that reflected the original culture of Yemen, widened the scope of Yemeni participation and displayed its traits to the greatest possible extent: attractive exhibits, interesting events and a wide range of other relevant activities and programs that spell out the meaning of real diversity the country cherishes.
In 2005 World Exhibition, Yemen enhanced and reinforced the successful participation at the 2000 World Exposition, Hanover, Germany, making use of its distinctive and potential capacities as a country enjoying deeply rooted civilization and history, rich with its cultural heritage, unique architecture, natural characteristics, bio and cultural diversity and the traditional handicrafts including silver, jewelry, pottery, textiles, and costumes, etc.
The smell of incense and myrrh and the Silversmiths and sculptors offering their goods contributed to the fascinating mosaic and diversity of the overall conception. Visitors could discover the beauty and mystery of Arabia Felix. At the Corner of Henna, Yemeni women variegated hands and shoulders with the red natural color of henna depicting various patterns and shapes. The diverse, eye-catching and beautiful traditional Yemeni costumes were also among the most attractive exhibits.
Yemeni coffee had its place in the pavilion as it did carve a niche for itself in the world of coffee with the brand of “Mokha Coffee” or “Mocca” as been termed in some places, rating as best coffee. The name was a result of Yemeni coffee being associated with the port of al-Makha, on the Red Sea, via which coffee was used to be exported to countries all over the world.
The participation of Yemen at the World Exposition was focused on the following fields: culture, arts, tourism, antiquities, heritage, agriculture, forestry. It also covered other fields such as industry, commerce, investment and information technology.
The host city:
The city of Aichi, the host of the show, is favored by a mild climate, the fertility of the Owari Plain, which lies nearly in the center of Japan, and the bounties from the warm Kuroshio Current flowing in the Pacific Ocean along the Japanese archipelago, a rich culture has flourished in the Aichi region since the 7th and 8th centuries. And still today, many genres of traditional crafts and folk entertainment continue to live on in the daily lives of the people of Aichi.
In Aichi the visitor can feel the spirit of the successive periods of Japan's past and present-from the spirit of the many brilliant figures who shaped Japanese history and opened the way to an increasingly modern Japan out of the mystery-shrouded ancient and medieval Japan to the dynamism of leading industrial manufacturers that have helped build contemporary Japan.
——
[archive-e:882-v:14-y:2005-d:2005-10-03-p:culture]
