The Manhattan of the Middle East
7 things that you don’t think about when you hear Yemen
Since 2015, the war in Yemen has led to the world’s largest humanitarian crisis, with 22 million people needing food, water, shelter, or sanitation. Every story that we hear come out of Yemen is bleak and heartbreaking. As much as we should help our brothers and sisters in Yemen, we shouldn’t forget the rich culture and history that this ancient land of prophets has. Yemen has a rich place in Islamic history and literature and was one of the oldest centers of civilization in the Near East.
1. The Prophet ﷺ on Yemen
Wisdom is Yemeni
On the authority of Abu Hurairah who said, ‘I heard the Messenger of Allah ﷺ saying,
“…Calmness is found among the owners of sheep. Faith is Yemeni, and wisdom is (also) Yemeni.” — Al Bukhari
I am Yemeni
On the authority of ‘Amr ibn ‘Abasah
Prophet Muhammad ﷺ said, “… The best of men are the men of Yemen, belief is Yemeni, and I am Yemeni. The most numerous of tribes in Paradise on the Day of Resurrection are the Madhhij. The Hadramaut are better than Banu al-Harith and I care not if both the two (Harith) tribes perish to the last one! There is no power nor kingdom except that of Allah, Mighty and Majestic is He.” — Ahmad
2. Yemen Is Home To World’s Oldest Skyscraper City
Shibam, a town in Yemen, remains the oldest metropolis in the world to use vertical construction, a dense cluster of mud-brick high-rise buildings. The 1,700-year-old town in Yemen is also known as “the oldest skyscraper city in the world.” In the 1930s, British explorer Freya Stark called this mud city “the Manhattan of the desert”.
Shibam was strategically designed on higher grounds to prevent flooding, yet had close proximity to agriculture and water. The entire city was built behind a fortified wall to prevent attacks from rival tribes and to this day helps with flooding.
The buildings require regular maintenance as it is threatened by wind, rain, and heat erosion. In 2008 a tropical cyclone flooded the city. The civil war in Yemen has hindered support from local and international organizations and this historical city can soon disappear. Repairs and upkeep have been slow and more of the inhabitants of the city are leaving at faster rates due to the deteriorating conditions.
3. The Name Caffè Mocha can be traced back to Yemen
When you drink your mocha, do you ever think of Yemen?
Mocha is a city located on Yemen’s Red Sea coast. The city was a major hub of the coffee trade from the 15th to the 18th centuries. The Mocha beans sold at Mocha were famous for their distinctive flavor. The popular caffè mocha, that we find in most cafes around the world these days derives its name from Mocha in Yemen.
Legend has it that “the world’s first coffee was brewed by a Sufi holy man named Ali Ibn Omar al-Shadhili, who became known as the Monk of Mokha.” — Coffee and Conflict in Yemen: The Monk of Mokha
There has been an entire book written about The Monk of Mokha which tells the story of Mokhtar Alkhanshali, a Yemeni-American who travels to Yemen in 2014 to start a social enterprise to explore the ancient art of Yemeni coffee while Yemen was on the brink of civil war.
4. Not just the oldest skyscrapers, they also have one of the oldest continuously inhabited city in the world
Imagine the roads that you live in were the same roads that were used by people 200 years ago. Now imagine your city as a city that had people living continuously for over 2500 years. Imagine the depth in culture, architecture, history, and traditions. Sana’a the capital city of Yemen is just that! Human beings have been living in this city for over 2500 years.
5. Land of the Prophets
Yemen is alluded to several times in the Qur’an in Surah Hud, Surah Saba’, Surah al-Ahqaf, and Surah al-Fil. Prophet Hud could be historically from the land we now call Yemen. Allah سبحانه وتعالى spoke with him and his people, the tribe of ‘Ad and Iram. The magnificent city of pillars in the sand dunes is mentioned in Surah al-Ahqaf. Allah سبحانه وتعالى also speaks about Bilqis, the Queen of Sheba in Surah An-Naml at the time of the Prophet Sulaiman.
6. The Famous Yemeni Sahabas
Abu Musa al-Ash‘ari رضي الله عنه, Abu Hurairah ‘Abdur-Rahman ibn Sakhr ad-Dawsi رضي الله عنه, Hassan ibn Thabit رضي الله عنه are some of the notable sahabas from Yemen.
7. Another Unesco Heritage Site
If you were marveling at the man-made architecture of Yemen, wait till you see the Yemeni island of Socotra, an almost other-worldly paradise in the Indian Ocean. This ‘alien’ island is most famously known for the Dragon’s Blood Tree along with its unique landscape and nearly 700 endemic species.
According to the United Nations, the Yemeni Civil War has left an estimated 24 million people in need of assistance and protection. That’s nearly 80% of the country’s population. 20 million people are food-insecure, 19.7 million are unable to get adequate healthcare, 17.8 million lack access to safe water, and 3.3 million citizens are displaced. In 2018, this led to a cholera outbreak in the country that affected hundreds of thousands of Yemenis, especially children.
Due to this crisis, we are losing our brothers and sisters along with their rich knowledge, history, and traditions at an unprecedented rate. May Allah protect the people and the land of Yemen.
Yemen and its people have helped shape the world and Islamic cultures. Let’s serve the people of Yemen in their time of crisis.
