Yemen Things to Do

  SOCOTRA ISLAND
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  • SOCOTRA ISLAND
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Tarim

by worldtraveler55

TarimTarim is famous for the quantity and quality of it's mud-brick palaces, built by emigrants of Indonesia and Singapore. The huge palaces they built in this Javanese Baroque style are now in various stages of decay. The finest palace is Al-Kaf Palace built by As-sayed Omar bin sheikh al-Kaf.In the centre of town yoy can find the al-Muhdar Mosque, wich is named after the religious leader Omar al-Muhdar, who lived in tarim in the 15th century AD. Rebuilt in 1914, this mosque is the symbol of the town. Its 50-metre-high square minaret, built of mud brick, is the highest minaret in Southern Arabia.

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Sayun (Tomb of Ahmad ibn Isa al-Muhajir)

by worldtraveler55

Tomb of Ahmad ibn Isa al-MuhajirIn 951 AD Sayyid Ahmad ibn Isa al-Muhajir, a descendant of the prophet Muhammad, came here, out of Iraq with 80 families and settled in the eastern part of Wadi Hadhramawt, establishing Shafa'ism in the region.The tomb of al-Muhajir is still an important place of pilgrimage, and the town of Tarim has remaind the centre of Safa'i teaching.The tomb is about five km east of Say'un, on the southern bank of the wadi bottom.Non-muslims are not allowed to entre.

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Wadi Hadhramawt

by worldtraveler55

Wadi HadhramawtWadi Hadramawt, the biggest wadi in the Arabian Peninsula, is one of the major attractions of southern Yemen.Formed by erosion of the sandstone bedrock over millions of years, the main wadi is today some 300 meters deep and two-km wide and runs for 160 km, west to east.The abundance of archaeological sites in the wadi, reveal that the region has been settled throughout human history and that it prospered gratley in ancient times.Indeed, some historians argue that the place was mentioned in The Book of Genesis, with its name spelt Hazarnaveth. according to local traditions the earliest inhabitants of the wadi descent of the prophet Hud, who was a descent of Joktan, a grandson of Noah.Wadi Hadhramawt is located on the ancient incense route.

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Sayun (Sultan's Palace)

by worldtraveler55

Sultan's PalaceThe Sultan's Palace in Sayun is perhaps the most pompous of all South Yemeni palaces, a multistorey , white-plastered colossus with light-blue window decorations.It stands on an elevation next to the town's central souq.The present shape of the building stems from the 1920s and 1930s when the Kathiri sultans Mansur bin Galbi and his son Ali rebuilt the earlier palace. The mud-brick wall around the palace is from 1987 when the building was last renovated.The palace is now most empty, having been converted into a museum after the 1967 revolotion.The museum occupies several halls and rooms on various floors but leaves plenty of space unused.On the top floor you will find various departments dedicated to folklore, such as handcraft, marriage and birth, coffee and tea costums and Arabic medicine.Don't leave without a visit to the roof of the palace; there are great views across...

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Shibam

by worldtraveler55

ShibamShibam is a very old city. It was already the capital of the Hadramawt area in the 3rd century AD, and served as the capital several times until the 16th century. Today it has a population of around 7.000.Sibam with its extremeley compact layout, is a remarkable example of ancient town planning. It has a earth wall and the houses are built with mud bricks and wooden superstructures on stone foundations.Most of the houses have four to seven storeys, depending on the height of the elevation on which they stand, so that the roofs of th ebuildings are all the same level.Look out for the old decorative doors and windows. Worth a peek also are the citty Walls , witch date from the 17th century, the Sultan's Palace built in Ad1220, and the various mosques, including the Sheikh ar-Rashid Mosque wich dates from the 10th century.

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Sayun

by worldtraveler55

SayunSayun is the largest town in the Hadramawt valley and was capital of the Northn Hadramawt Protectorate during the final years of British rule.This town, an age-old marketplace is on a major caravan route. Its economy was greatly boosted in 1490 AD when some 10.000 members of a North Yemeni tribe, the Kathirs of Hamdanis, immigrated to the town and make it their capital, ruling it until the 1967 revolution.Near the cemetery you can find the Tomb of Habashi (dating from 1910) and the 16th-century Al-Haddad Mosque (unfortunatly non-muslims are forbidden to enter the side of the tomb as well as the graveyards)Also worth a wander are the alleyways of the old souq.

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San'a

by worldtraveler55

Sana'aIn 1984 old San'a in its entirety was declared a Unesco World Heritage Site. The town is so perfectly preserved that it is said you can walk a square kilometre in any direction without encountering a single new building.The old city is particularly famous fot its Tower Houses. reaching up to six- or eight-storeys, the have been caled The world's first skyscrapers; San'a contains no less than 14.000 of them.Tower houses tend to follow a set design; on the ground floor are the stables and storerooms; on the 1st floor the rooms used for entertaining; the 2nd floor is usually reserved for the women and children; and on the 3rd and 4th floors are the bedrooms, bathrooms and kitchen. At the very top of the house is the Manzar (attic), wich contains the famous mafraj (literally 'room with a view') Serving often as windows in the mafraj, are moon-shaped, stained-glass windows known as...

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San'a (Mosques)

by worldtraveler55

MosquesAccording to legend, Sana's was the City of Shem that is mentioned in the Bibble and was built by Noah's son. It may also have been the town of Azal described in the Old testament.Whatever its exact origins, San'a is undoubtedly one of the most ancient towns on the Arabian Peninsula. Inhabited during Sabaean times, it later became the capital of the great Himyarite dynasty in the early 6th century AD.It also served as a power base for two foreign powers: the Abyssinians and Persians. In the 7th century AD Islam arrived, altering forever the face of the city, as early mosques and minarets rose up to replace the old churches.Out of the 50 mosques still standing, the Great Mosque is the most significant. For centuries it served as an important Islamic school and centre of learning, and attached to it is a Library containing the largest and most famous collection of manuscripts in...

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Ramlat as-Sab'atayn

by worldtraveler55

Ramlat as-Sab'ataynA great journey form Marib to Sayun is across the impressive Ramlat as-Sab'atayn desert. You'll need a Bedouin guide to accompany you (and you should tip him afterwards).Streaming for hours across the desert in the wind, sun and sand, you'll soon get an idea of how vast the desert really is.En routen you can stop at Bedouin encampments and take tea under thier woven, goat hair tents.Some may offer to sell you locally made handicrafts.

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Eastern Yemen

by worldtraveler55

Eastern Yemen The road running east from Sa'na leads to increasingly desolate landscapes, culminating in the famous Ruba al-Khali (Emty Quarter)Although bare, bleak and sometimes monotonous, the scenery is relieved by the occasional acacia (sourse of the heavenly honey)Bedouin tribespeople armed to the teeth and nervous policemen manning checkpoints that bristle with fortification.Women waering the shapeless black gown known as the abbeyyaPetroleum trucks rattle past (this is after all Yemen's oil region), and little cities in the sand - the honey-couloured, mud-brick blocks of traditional Yemeni architecture - fly by.Scattered about and sprouting up against all odds are green and glossy bushes; even here qat finds a home.

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Fun things to do in Yemen

Top 3 Hotels in Yemen

Arabia Felix  Sanaa

 6 Reviews and 22 Opinions  absolutely PERFECT! We had all we need - hot water, cable TV, views and very interesting stay.... 

 Hotels in Sanaa

Shibam Hotel  Shibam

 2 Reviews and 0 Opinions  I didn't stay there, but went there in early afternoon hoping for a cup of tea. But they don't have... 

 Hotels in Shibam

Al Hawta Palace Hotel  Say'un

 1 Review and 10 Opinions  Al Hawta Palace Hotel is situated on the outskirts of Say'un and is set in lovely landscaped... 

 Hotels in Say'un

9 Hotels in Yemen
 
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Reviews and photos of Yemen attractions posted by real travelers and locals. The best tips for Yemen sightseeing.

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Things to Do: Cities in Yemen
  1. Sanaa Things to Do
  2. Socotra Things to Do
  3. Tarim Things to Do
  4. Shibam Things to Do
  5. Al Mukalla Things to Do
  6. Say'un Things to Do
  7. Shaharah Things to Do
  8. Ma'rib Things to Do
  9. Ta`izz Things to Do
  10. Ibb Things to Do
  11. Al Hudaydah Things to Do
  12. Zabid Things to Do
  13. Hababah Things to Do
  14. Kawkaban Things to Do
  15. `Amran Things to Do
  16. Al Hajarayn Things to Do
  17. Manakhah Things to Do
  18. Widn Dhahr Things to Do
  19. Thila Things to Do
  20. Shibam Things to Do
  21. Al Mahwit Things to Do
  22. Rada` Things to Do
  23. Al Hajara` Things to Do
  24. Sif Things to Do
  25. Jiblah Things to Do
  26. Sana' Things to Do

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Popular Regions in Yemen

Muhafazat Hadramawt Things to Do  Aden Municipality Things to Do  Muhafazat al Hudaydah Things to Do  Muhafazat al Mahwit Things to Do 

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Questions and Answers

natykrishna profile photo

Q:  Hi, i want to travel to hodeidah and then to Mukalla.Can I get flight from hod to Mukalla and Mukalla to saana? 

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A: The only domestic carriers are Yemenia and Felix. There are no direct connections from Hodeidah to Mukhalla. You'd have to go via San'a. Of note, San'a airport has closed... 

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