Into the mysterious Yemen_Yemen

Yemen is located at the southwestern tip of the Arabian Peninsula. It is adjacent to Saudi Arabia and Oman, and on the Red Sea, Gulf of Aden and Arabian Sea. The climate in the mountainous and plateau areas within the territory is mild and dry. The ancient city of Sana'a, the capital, is said to have a history of more than 3,000 years and is listed as a World Cultural Heritage by UNESCO.

Yemen is located at the southwestern tip of the Arabian Peninsula. It is adjacent to Saudi Arabia and Oman, and on the Red Sea, Gulf of Aden and Arabian Sea. The climate in the mountainous and plateau areas within the territory is mild and dry. The ancient city of Sana'a, the capital, is said to have a history of more than 3,000 years and is listed as a World Cultural Heritage by UNESCO.

Yemen is one of the cradles of ancient civilization in the Arab world. The Main Dynasty was established in the 14th century BC. After the 16th century, it was invaded and occupied by Portugal, the Ottoman Empire and the British. In 1918, an independent kingdom was established. In 1934, the British forced the kingdom to recognize British occupation of southern Yemen, and Yemen was officially divided into north and south. In September 1962, the "Free Officers" organization headed by Abdullah Salal launched a revolution, overthrew the Badr dynasty in the north, and established the Arab Republic of Yemen. In 1967, southern Yemen gained independence from British colonial rule and established the Democratic People's Republic of Yemen. On May 22, 1990, North and South Yemen announced their unification and established the Yemeni Republic.

The journey from the airport to the hotel is full of novelties. Weather, architecture, skin color, clothing, vehicles, etc. filled my eyes and excited my nerves.

Yemen is close to the equator, and most areas are plateaus with little rainfall, so the climate is hot and dry, with a large temperature difference between morning and evening. In Sana'a, both living and inanimate things are ruthlessly squeezed for moisture. The leaves are dry and lifeless, the houses are mainly gray and yellow, and there is no external decoration. Even if there is not much wind and sand, the sky still feels a bit hazy and gray, as if there is a lot of dust accumulated and no water to wash it.

Yemeni men wear turbans, and some also put them on their shoulders. They are mainly made of pure cotton and cost around US$3 a piece at tourist spots. Traditional clothing should be a robe or skirt. The robe is similar to a nightgown, without a waistband, and has buttonholes on the chest. It is ankle-length, mostly white, and is called "saopu". I think it is a big white robe. The texture of the fabric is hand-made and the texture is different. The pure white and bright ones are incredible. Coupled with the young and handsome appearance, it has an aura of purity and nobility. The skirt is called "mag belt cloth". It is actually a large rectangular scarf tied around the waist. It is a bit like the skirt of Dai women in my country, but it only reaches the knees. Whether it is a skirt or a robe, the tops are all paired with suits, mainly gray, black, and earthy yellow. The main reason for dressing up like this is the large temperature difference between day and night. The vast majority of adult women wear black gauze robes, which are divided into several parts such as headscarves, veils, and long skirts. The quality and workmanship also vary. Except for the eyes and hands, other parts of the body are completely covered. But there is no lack of a graceful figure that is difficult to conceal, coupled with bright eyes and good vision, there is also a mysterious attraction that is like holding a pipa.

There is a characteristic of building a house in Sana'a. The house is as high as the mountain. Building a house on the top of the mountain means that it is closer to God. There are many prosperous areas in the city center, and there are not many modern high-rise buildings. Although the high-end hotels and shopping malls are slightly smaller, their internal decoration and operating brands are in line with the world. The overall feeling is still one of poverty, after all, there are mostly buildings with gray walls and earth and stone. Most of the residential buildings are square in shape, with about two or three floors. The wall bases are made of large stones, and the colors are monotonous. The exterior walls are all gray and yellow in color. Many signs are old, dirty and faded. Interestingly, the steel bars on the roofs of most houses are protruding and exposed, as if they are unfinished. Some people speculate that it is to continue to raise the height one day. In fact, according to Yemeni regulations, completed houses have to pay huge taxes. If they are left unfinished, they can avoid taxes. Therefore, the house that looks dilapidated and unfinished has been decorated inside for a long time, and it has even been lived in for a long time.

Yemen has no railways. Walking on the street, the biggest feeling is that there are many cars and they are fast. Don’t think that Yemen is poor. Its car ownership is estimated to be no less than that of small and medium-sized cities in China. Cars are cheap, gas prices are low, and Yemen is mountainous, so cars are the only way to travel. Small cars include vans, sedans and pickup trucks, almost all of which are Japanese, accounting for about 90%. You can also see brand-new Lexus. The disparity between rich and poor owners can be seen from the condition of the car.

In Sana’a, I also made a special trip to the Sana’a Grand Canyon and the Lao Wangye Palace. These two places are about 30 to 40 minutes' drive from the city of Sana'a. The road is full of deserted hills, sparse vegetation, and dilapidated roads, but it is full of exotic atmosphere. Moreover, I knew it was a scenic spot, so my enjoyment of the trip was not affected at all. . The car parked on the top of an open cliff. Looking from where we stood, the cliff looked like a crescent extending to both sides. The cliff walls hung neatly, about hundreds of meters high. In front of us, there was a strong mountain wind and green trees in the deep valley. It is shaded by earthen houses, forming a natural basin oasis. In the distance, the Old Prince's Palace stands in a corner of the valley bottom with a detached attitude, and its white exterior wall is particularly eye-catching.

The Laowangye Palace was the palace of a tribal leader in Yemen hundreds of years ago. He ruled the surrounding area for hundreds of miles. Yemenis have a habit of building most of their houses on top of mountains or boulders, and the Old Prince's Palace is a typical example. It is built on a huge boulder. The boulder is surrounded by steep walls. There is only a path that can be climbed up in a spiral way, forming a unique fortress and occupying an advantageous location from the perspective of offense and defense. After all the ups and downs, the Old Prince's Palace still stands and is now protected as a tourist attraction.

Standing at the foot of the palace, the khaki rocks blend into the yellow and white houses. The pavilions are scattered along the mountain. Although it is not a carved beam or pillar, the decorative lines on the exterior wall are clear and concise, and the color is white and bright. It is said that it is as graceful as a wedding dress above the head. The young girl said that it is dignified and solemn and like an old Confucian. It does not need heavy makeup and heavy application, and it has an otherworldly feeling; it does not need a staff or gorgeous clothes, but always has a majestic and solemn style.

Climbing up the stairs, the decoration inside the palace is simple and thick, rough but not rough, and luxurious but not ostentatious. I don't know how to paint the walls so white that they feel smooth to the touch. The door is a heavy wooden structure with no carvings or paintings. Above the window lattice is a semicircular multicolored glass window, which is bright, bright and unique in style. Storage rooms, vents, observation posts, cold rooms, niches, etc. are all available, and each utilizes natural geographical structures to show their ingenuity. At the top of the entire palace are the prince's living room, reception room, leisure room, women's and children's living room and activity platform. Downstairs is a place similar to a guest bedroom and a lecture room, and further down is the kitchen and bathroom. It is said that there is a prison cell at the bottom.

The Saleh Family Grand Mosque is a new landmark building in Sana'a. It was built by President Saleh himself and was completed only a few years ago. Its magnificence seems to be the highest in West Asia. The reason why I chose to go at night is because it is even more radiant in the night lights. When I was still a long way away from the mosque, I saw a large open green space and brightly lit buildings in the distance. Under the lights, there was a dome with a silvery light in the center, and columnar towers with flashing lights all around. I was amazed. Stunningly beautiful.

When I arrived at the door, I was stopped by the guard. It turned out that it was Muslim prayer time and it would not be open to the public until an hour later. Hesitate, whether to wait, consider the opportunity not to be missed, wait. Looking longingly at the main building and lights of the mosque. I also took the opportunity to look at its periphery. The mosque is surrounded by a large open green space and is surrounded by a fence near the road. The green space is divided into lawns and flower beds. The lawns are neatly trimmed. Many children are crawling and rolling on the grass. Pink or golden unknown flowers are densely covered with flower beds.

It must have been a huge investment to plan such a vivid green space in such a water-scarce city. It's like this on the outside, but it's even more extraordinary on the inside. Finally, the service ended and the crowd dispersed. I asked the staff for permission to go inside and visit. Under the soft yellow and white lights, the dome of the mosque glows with a faint fluorescent light, and the surrounding area is empty and quiet, making it look particularly holy. With respect, I slowly entered the outer hall of the main hall. It turns out that it is an open-air semi-elliptical structure with two floors, similar to the style of Roman architecture. The marble floor is as smooth as a mirror, and the marble columns are solemn and thick. Standing at the door, you can see the hemispherical dome of the main hall opposite, with the topmost one visible. It is a crescent-shaped carving, which should be a unique symbol of Muslims. The night is low, and it is as bright as the moon under the light, and it seems to be slowly rising into the night sky. It is spacious, majestic and solemn, which makes the soul excited and at the same time quickly returns to calmness. It is like being baptized and surrendering to silence.

Take off your shoes at the door of the inner hall, enter the inner hall in fear, and your eyes can't help but light up. Surprise, envy, and shock were followed by inner joy and admiration: so spectacular and beautiful. The inner hall is larger in area and brightly lit. There is a thick and soft carpet under the feet. The head and walls are decorated with unique Arabic text and graphics. The colors are elegant and the stripes are fine. Dozens of marble columns stand quietly like giant elephants. Colonel Muhammad, the manager of the entire building, and others introduced that the Grand Mosque cost 20 million US dollars and took 7 years to complete. It is open 24 hours a day in 5 shifts. I lingered for nearly 2 hours and felt that it was a worthwhile trip.

Bab Yemen (Gate of Yemen), this is also the main landmark of Yemen. Without a tour guide, it seems to me that Bab Yemen is actually the gate of the ancient city of Sana’a. It is said that the descendants of Adam landed and migrated to Aden in Yemen, and finally built and settled in what is now the ancient city of Sana'a. The city gate is not high, with a main color of gray and brown. The gate tower is flanked by column-like fortress-like buildings, which is antique.

The ancient city of Sana'a has now become a commercial street, and it is very lively with people coming and going. The roads in the city are not wide and are made of stones. There are many people walking on them and they are worn smooth. The small shops on the roadside sell local specialties, such as coffee, dates, Arabic clothing, jewelry and waist knives.

Speaking of the Yemeni waist knife, it is really world-famous. All grown men wear one around their waist. The prices of scimitars vary widely. There are Chinese-made scimitars that satisfy tourists' curiosity for a few dollars, and of course there are sky-high price scimitars with precious rhinoceros horns inlaid with silver jewels. But the scimitar's main function is decoration. What's really great is the weapons. The per capita possession of guns in the capital, Sana'a, is 6, and various medium and heavy weapons are spread among the people. It is said that when someone was seeking revenge, he threw a grenade into a restaurant where his enemy was dining, creating countless unjust deaths. There was a sign at the door of the hotel where I stayed, warning guests not to bring weapons to the hotel.

Yemeni people like to chew qat. It is said to be a plant native to Ethiopia. After chewing it, you will feel ecstatic and enter a state of drunkenness. Therefore, it is very popular among the people of various countries in the Horn of Africa. Later, the rulers of various countries realized the dangers of qat and gradually banned it. Currently, there are only It is still legal to eat in Yemen. Everyone in the country, from the president to the beggars, chews it. The difference is that the president chews "Huangshan Maojian", while the beggars can only chew khat root to satisfy their craving. The cost of qat is a huge burden for poor Yemenis. Yemenis can go without food or drink, and let their wives and children starve, but they cannot live without qat.

Qat time starts in the afternoon, and Yemenis happily put the first piece of qat leaves into their mouths. At night, there is a big ball of qat residue in their mouths, accumulated under their cheeks, bulging like a frog.

Yemen is a very interesting place, and walking there is really touching!

(Editor Liu Yi)