Aden

History

No doubt, this position is most picturesque of Aden. It looks like as if the nature of most remote Arabian South made it on purpose of volacno eruption, in order to create safe nature port, rocky citadel and, moreover, sandy bays, in backwards of picturesque mountain ranges. Aden was formed on lava belt of volcanic island, which is a headland of continent, joined with Yemen mainland, protecting vessels against numerous storms. So, during a life of Prophet Mohammed, the inhabitants of this island accepted Islam religion. Aden had, as most important port among Red Sea and Indian Ocean, nearly 80000 inhabitants and many Mosques. Since ancient time period, this commercial centre took an interest of foreign powers. The occupations, plundering or closing of old business ways came to complete decay, as a result. The town ceased to exist and population number dropped to 1000 persons only.

Even since 1839, when Aden was seized with British military troops, this old commercial metropolis shined with new lustre. After opening of Suez Cannal, the port was full of huge number of vessels. At the end of 19th century, Aden was taken for the third biggest port of the world. However, this successfull period terminated in 1967, when the British left, and with the increasing interest of Moscow and Beijing in former King´s Colony. Aden was drawn, as a capital of South Yemen Socialist Republic, into a dispute with North Yemen. This event was finished even in 1990, when both countries founded an independent republic.

Present time

Although Aden-port is not a seat of the government, this town takes, with its 60000 inhabitants, its leading position in the country. Even tourist movement is undertaking its growth. This South-Arabian Republic is visited with more than 100 0000 persons each year. Most of them are  arriving from Germany, and continue their journey ahead into inland. As far as the main attraction is concerned, it is Crater Quarter, situated on bottom of island volcano, surrounded with steep lava walls. You can find in this oldest part of the town typical oriental market with workshops, tea-rooms and restaurants.The offer of goods is variegated and the same character has the mix-up meeting of men dressed in turbans, women from Africa, veiled in many-coloured stoffs, white dressed Hindu, as well as tourists from Europe with rucksacks on their back.

To building monuments of this ancient town belong a minaret, situated in solitude position. It is a rest after a Mosque of 8th century, and Al-Idrus Mosque, where the age of the oldest part of the construction is being estimated to 500 years. Inside internal spaces of this Mosque, a sarcophagus of patron saint of Al-Idrus town is hidden. A great pilgrimage is being regularly organized in honour of that personality. So, at present, this pompous palace of Aden-sultans  serves as National Museum. However, the building lost, during plundering actions in past, many of its valuable artefacts. As technical miracle, coming from pre-Islam time period, these are Tawila cisterns, containing 18 reservoirs, with capacity to seize up to 90 000 cubic metres of rain water. In the neighbourhood, you can find so called „Taciturnity Tower“, where the Pars, Persian adherents of Zarathustra, put the bodies of dead persons, as a food for birds of prey. Nevertheless, a spirit of British way of life was preserved in villas of Maala Quarter, on west coast. Not far from there, on beautiful Gold Mohur Beach, a nest, stretched across a bay, is protecting the bathing persons against possible attacks of sharks. Above Aden Bay, there is arising Dzhabal Samsan (560 m), dull part of that volcano, which lifted up the whole Aden-area in past. Anyway, this event happened 67 millions of years ago. Nevertheless, some scientists are of the opinion that this occured 1,5 millions of yearly only.

Text: Denisa Arvajová

Translation: ing. Jan Jonáš

Photo: Picasaweb.com