Yemen Portal
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Yemen, officially the Republic of Yemen, is a country in West Asia. Including the Socotra Archipelago, mainland Yemen is located in southern Arabia; bordering Saudi Arabia to the north, Oman to the northeast, the south-eastern part of the Arabian Sea to the east, the Gulf of Aden to the south, and the Red Sea to the west, sharing maritime borders with Djibouti, Eritrea, Somaliland and Somalia across the Horn of Africa. Covering roughly 455,503 square kilometres (175,871 square miles), with a coastline of approximately 2,000 kilometres (1,200 miles), Yemen is the second largest country on the Arabian Peninsula by area, and the largest by population.
Sanaa is its constitutional capital and largest city. Yemen's estimated population is 34.7 million, mostly Arab Muslims, which is estimated to be greater than that of Saudi Arabia. It is a member of the Arab League, the United Nations, the Non-Aligned Movement and the Organisation of Islamic Cooperation.
Owing to its geographic location, Yemen has been at the crossroads of many civilisations for over 7,000 years. The Sabaeans formed a thriving commercial kingdom that influenced parts of modern Ethiopia and Eritrea. In 275 AD, it was succeeded by the Himyarite Kingdom, which spanned much of Yemen's present-day territory and was heavily influenced by Judaism. Christianity arrived in the fourth century, followed by the rapid spread of Islam in the seventh century. From its conversion to Islam, Yemen became a center of Islamic learning, and Yemenite troops played a crucial role in early Islamic conquests. Much of Yemen's architecture survived until modern times. For centuries, it was a primary producer of coffee, exported through the port of Mocha. Various dynasties emerged between the 9th and 16th centuries. During the 19th century, the country was divided between the Ottoman and British empires. After World War I, the Kingdom of Yemen was established, which in 1962 became the Yemen Arab Republic (North Yemen) following a civil war. In 1967, the People's Democratic Republic of Yemen (South Yemen) gained its independence from the British Aden Protectorate, becoming the first and only communist state in the Middle East and the Arab world. In 1990, the two Yemeni states united to form the modern Republic of Yemen, with Ali Abdullah Saleh serving as the first president until his resignation in 2012 in the wake of the Arab Spring.
Since 2011, Yemen has been enduring a political crisis, marked by street protests against poverty, unemployment, corruption, and President Saleh's plan to amend Yemen's constitution and eliminate the presidential term limit. By 2015, the country became engulfed by an ongoing civil war with multiple entities vying for governance, including the Presidential Leadership Council of the internationally recognized government, and the Houthi movement's Supreme Political Council. This conflict, which has escalated to involve various foreign powers, has led to a severe humanitarian crisis. (Full article...)
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The Rasulid dynasty or Rasulids (Arabic: بنو رسول, romanized: Banū Rasūl) were a Sunni Yemeni dynasty who ruled Yemen from 1229 to 1454. Generally seen as Oghuz Turkic in origin, their chronicles claimed Arab Ghassanid descent. (Full article...)
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Ali Nasir Muhammad Al-Husani (Arabic: علي ناصر محمد ; born 31 December 1939) is a Yemeni politician who also served as the Secretary-General of the Yemeni Socialist Party between 1980 and 1986. He was president of South Yemen twice and once the Prime Minister. He served as the Prime Minister from 2 August 1971 until 14 February 1985 and as Chairman of the Presidential Council from 26 June 1978, after the ouster and execution of Salim Rubai Ali, until 27 December 1978. (Full article...)
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Interior of the Great Mosque of Sanaa, the oldest mosque in Yemen (from History of Yemen)
Saint Mary's Garrison church in Aden was built by the British in 1850 and is currently abandoned. (from History of Yemen)
Himyarite King Dhamar Ali Yahbur II (from History of Yemen)
The Qadi of Sa'dah, Yemen, in 1200-1210, according to the Maqamat al-Hariri (BNF 3929) (from History of Yemen)
Ruins of Thula fortress in 'Amran, where al-Mutahhar ibn Yaha barricaded himself against Ottoman attacks. (from History of Yemen)
The critically endangered Arabian leopard (from Wildlife of Yemen)
Current (January 2025) political and military control in ongoing Yemeni Civil War (2014–present)Controlled by the Government of Yemen (under the Presidential Leadership Council since April 2022) and allies(from History of Yemen)
The Himyarite Kingdom at its height in 525 AD (from History of Yemen)
A funerary stela featuring a musical scene, 1st century AD (from History of Yemen)
Map of Yemen and its environs on the eve of World War I (from History of Yemen)
Bridge at Shaharah in the western highlands, with terracing at top right (from Wildlife of Yemen)
Ruins of The Great Dam of Marib (from History of Yemen)
Jibla and its surroundings, UNESCO Tentative Site (from Tourism in Yemen)
Postage stamp of the Kathiri state of Sai'yun with portrait of Sultan Jafar bin Mansur. Kathiri is Kingdom of Hadhramaut Protected/Controlled British Empire. (from History of Yemen)
Protest in Sanaa, 3 February 2011 (from History of Yemen)
Old City of Sana'a, UNESCO World Heritage Site (from Tourism in Yemen)
Mocha was Yemen's busiest port in the 17th and 18th century. (from History of Yemen)
Old Walled City of Shibam, UNESCO World Heritage Site (from Tourism in Yemen)
Queen Arwa al- Sulaihi Palace (from History of Yemen)
Arabian boduis farm couple, possibly Yemeni (Códice Casanatense, c. 1540) (from History of Yemen)
Tahirids in light green and Zaydi imams in dark green (from History of Yemen)
Slave-market in the town of Zabid in Yemen. Illustration from the 1237 Maqamat al-Hariri produced in Baghdad by al-Wasiti (Arabe 5847) (from History of Yemen)
Flag of the Colony of Aden. (from History of Yemen)
Balhaf/Burum coastal area, UNESCO Tentative Site (from Tourism in Yemen)
The Historic City of Thula, UNESCO Tentative Site (from Tourism in Yemen)
Rasulid Kingdom around 1264 AD (from History of Yemen)
Jabal Haraz, UNESCO Tentative Site (from Tourism in Yemen)
Hawf, UNESCO World Heritage Site (from Tourism in Yemen)
Zaidi State under the rule of Al-Mutawakkil Isma'il (1675) (from History of Yemen)
Sabaean gravestone of a woman holding a stylized sheaf of wheat, a symbol of fertility in ancient Yemen (from History of Yemen)
Zurayid Kingdom and the neighbouring polities (from History of Yemen)
Al-Qahyra (Cairo) Castle's Garden in Ta'izz, the capital of Yemen during the Rasulid's era (from History of Yemen)
Imam Yahya hamid ed-Din's house in Sanaa(from History of Yemen)
Old City of Zabid, UNESCO World Heritage Site (from Tourism in Yemen)
The Madrasa Amiriya of Rada, UNESCO Tentative Site (from Tourism in Yemen)
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Aden (/ˈeɪdən/; Arabic: عَدَنْ, romanised: ʿAdan; IPA: [ʕa.dan]) is an ancient port city in the southern part of the Arabian peninsula, on the north coast of the Gulf of Aden, positioned near the eastern approach to the Red Sea, and has been the de facto capital of Yemen since 2014. It is approximately 170 km (110 mi) east of the Bab-el-Mandeb strait. With its strategic location on the coastline, Aden serves as a gateway between the Red Sea and the Arabian Sea, making it a crucial maritime hub connecting Africa, Asia, and the Middle East.
In 2026 Aden had a population estimated at 1,194,160, making it one of the largest cities in Yemen. It is the capital and principal part of Aden Governorate, encompassing eight districts. During the colonial period, the name Aden referred to the area along the north coast of the gulf, encompassing Tawahi, Mualla, Crater, and much of Khor Maksar district. The western harbour peninsula, known as Little Aden, now falls within the Al Buraiqeh district. (Full article...)
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Temple of Awwam in Marib.
Al Saleh Mosque in Sana'a.- dragon's blood tree (Dracaena cinnabari) in Socotra
Jews of Maswar, Yemen, in 1902
A Yemeni Jambiya
Bronze lion with a rider made by Qatabanians the circa 75-50 BCE.- Ruins of the Great Marib Dam (1988)
Seiyun Palace was the royal residence of the sultan of Kathiri, located in the town of Seiyun in the Hadhramaut region, Yemen. It is one of the world’s largest mud-brick structures.
A Griffon from the royal palace at Shabwa, the capital city of Hadhramaut
Barran Temple in Marib.- A bronze statue of Dhamar Ali Yahbur II, a Himyarite Kingdom king who probably reigned in late 3rd or early 4th century AD. Displayed in the Sana'a National Museum.
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Saltah (Arabic: سلتة) is a traditional Yemeni dish. Saltah is considered to be the national dish of Yemen. In the Ottoman Empire, saltah was used as a charitable food and was made with leftover food that was donated by the wealthy or the mosques. It is widely eaten in northern parts of the country. It is mainly served for lunch. The base is a brown meat stew called maraq, a dollop of fenugreek froth, and sahawiq (a mixture of chillies, tomatoes, garlic, and herbs ground into a salsa). Rice, potatoes, scrambled eggs, sambal and vegetables are common additions to saltah. It is eaten traditionally with khubz mulawah, a Yemeni flatbread used as a utensil to scoop up the dish. (Full article...)
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