Culture and history

Yemen is one of the oldest cultural centers of Arabia: the Sabean, Kataban and Himyarite kingdoms flourished on the trade in frankincense and myrrh; according to legend, local coffee spread to the world through the port of Mokha.

With the spread of Islam, religious schools and the Zeidite tradition in the north are formed; in modern times, the country is divided between the Ottoman Empire (hinterland) and the British Crown (Aden).

In 1990, North and South Yemen unite, but the following decades are marked by political crises and conflicts.

The cultural code is based on community, poetry and singing (Yemeni maqams, muwashshah), dancing (baraa), crafts, traditional jambiya dagger and rich cuisine (salta, hanja with honey cider, tagara dishes).

Architecture is the hallmark of the country: the brick towers of Shibam, the old city of Sana'a and the stone villages of mountainous Yemen; a natural symbol is the Socotra archipelago with "bloody dragon trees."

Despite difficult years, the Yemeni diaspora and local initiatives maintain poetic, musical and craft traditions, maintaining cultural continuity.