Home > All our thematic selections > Contrasts and splendors of Yemen
Yemen, a country on the Arabian Peninsula, bordered to the north by Saudi Arabia, to the west by the Sultanate of Oman, to the south by the Gulf of Aden, to the west by the Red Sea, and situated opposite the Horn of Africa is fascinating for its geographic and human diversity and the contrasts of its millennia-old civilization.
Arid coastal plains and lush mountains, home to magnificent vertical cities, featuring buildings modeled from mud brick and painted like embroidery.
This is a picture of an exotic Yemen: hard-bitten sailors, fierce horsemen and the humble trader, sword at his belt, along with those who chew khat, a plant that produces a euphoric and dream-state state. And where the aromas of incense and coffee, grown from time immemorial in the region of Moka, are inseparable from this land that is also known as “Fortunate Arabia.”
Our selection illustrates the multiple facets of this Yemenite civilization, which seems to have come to us intact from the dawn of time.
A second selection will follow this first part, and will document the extremely complex political life of contemporary Yemen, scarred by countless conflicts. See here
This selection is just a taste of the AWI's rich heritage.
You can find out more about these subjects by exploring this portal or by visiting the Institute.