u/alihedgehog73839

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Have you ever wondered why the old houses of Aden were filled with those wooden mashrabiyas and enclosed verandas?

In a rare article by the engineer D. B. Doe, the story of the development of Adeni architecture is revealed:

1. The Beginning – The Fortress House:

The old stone houses of Aden resembled inland fortresses, with thick walls and small, low-set windows, for three main reasons: defense, protection from the sun and sand, and the privacy of women.

2. The British Occupation Changed Everything:

With the construction of the Tawahi Camp (Front Bay) in 1839, a new architectural style appeared: the Indian bungalow—a single-room structure with stone walls surrounded by open wooden verandas for ventilation. It was ideal for the climate, but it conflicted with local traditions concerning women’s seclusion.

3. The Birth of the Adeni Screen:

This is where the people of Aden came up with an ingenious solution: they transformed the small mashrabiya that had originally been placed above the window—the hijab window—into a full screen covering the entire veranda with crossed wooden latticework. This allowed air to enter and provided a view to the outside without allowing people inside to be seen. Indians had used this as decoration, but in Aden it became a practical necessity for modesty and privacy.

4. The Revolution of the 1950s:

With the housing crisis and rising construction costs in the 1950s, verandas surrounding entire houses disappeared and apartment buildings became more common. New solutions were therefore introduced to block the sun:

Concrete sun hoods above windows

Horizontal wooden sunshades, spaced every 8 inches, which reduced direct sunlight while still allowing people to see outside

Colored glass awnings for schools

5. Claustra – Aden’s New Architectural Fashion:

The first building to use perforated concrete sun breakers (Brise-Soleil / Claustra) was constructed in Mualla in 1953–54 for a French company. From there, the style spread throughout the schools of Mualla and Sheikh Othman, as well as the small houses of Lahj, until it became a distinctive feature of Aden. Today, hardly a wall in Aden can be found without this type of architectural screen—even when it serves purely as decoration!

As the writer says: just as Gothic decorative stones eventually became mere ornament, sun breakers and mashrabiyas may also become nothing more than aesthetic decoration—and that is exactly what happened.

From an article published in #Aden_Port_Annual_63_64.

The original photographs from the annual were in black and white and have been automatically colorized to help reveal their details. Please open them.

#WindowScreensAndVerandasInAden #HistoryOfConstructionInAden #Mashrabiya

‏A picture from

This is the traditional dress of Al-Hujariya and Aden from decades ago. It was the white apron or white towel and the turban. There's no need to imitate the dress of Sana'a or any other region, as it's specific to those areas and extends to Sabr, Jabal Habashi, and Sami'. These areas have no connection to Al-Hujariya, but the Imam linked them to the Al-Hujariya district and the Al-Turbah court. Their customs and dress are different, an extension of Ibb and the north. This diversity is a source of pride, rather than reducing it to a single style. There's no need to imitate and adopt other cultures at weddings or elsewhere.

*The picture is sixty years old and shows people from Al-Hujariya whom I don't know.

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آل حميدان، آل لقمان، آل جرجرة، آل حمزه، آل باشراحيل، آل خليفة، آل أمان، آل خليل، آل مكاوي، آل باسودان، آل الصافي، آل العوبلي ، آل الزوقري، آل المدي، آل مكي، آل باشرين، آل بامدهف، آ ل الأعجم، آل مسواط، آل باديب، آل الحاج عبادي، آل محمد ناصر، آل بازرعة، آل الكتبي، آل باهارون، آل طرموم، آل باسندوة، آل علي عبده، آل الأصنج، آل الجرادة، آل حنبلة، آل عبده قاسم، آل السمان، آل العيدروس، آل البيومي، آل الشوذري، آل الخدشي، آل خدابخش، آل الدنجي، آل إبراهيم نور، آل الصائغ، آل القعر، آل المنيباري، آل باخبيرة، آل صحبي، آل العزاني، آل البديجي، آل الموشجي، آل جوهر، آل البيضاني، آل الحداد، آل الكوكني، آل الموشجي، آل يعقوب خان، آل محيرز، آل الصوري، أل الصعيدي، آل السعيدي، آل الصحبي، آل المدي، آل الأعجم، آل الكتبي، آل الماس، آل باسنيد، آل طرموم، آل باسندوة، آل شوالة، آل الناخودة، آل المحلوي، آل باسيف، آل السبراتي، آل يوسف خان، آل الحماطي، آل البيرو، آل الهمشري، آل الأغبري، بيت أربد، بيت النعاش، بيت عمر زيد، بيت الفيروزي، آل القصيص، بيت عطية، بيت السبوع، بيت الدجنة، بيت المنان، بيت السبولة، بيت عوضين، بيت سعيد عولقي، بيت حترش، بيت الشوذري، بيت حامد جعفر، آل شولق، بيت الجاوي، بيت الطحس، بيت الطمبش، آل شمشير، آل الحريري، آل الرمزو، بيت عقيل عباس، بيت مرشد، آل الحريري، آل الرمزو، آل عقبة، آل القوسي، آل الكومي، آل الخليدي، آل القلعة، بيت العولقي، بيت الضالعي، آل العرجي آل النورجي، بيت الميسري، آل البكيلي، آل الحبشي، آل العراسي، آل غانم، آل شطارة، آل ثابت، آل خان، بيت الزليخي، آل السقاف، بيت فضل عباس، بيت عبداللاه، بيت بلجون، بيت الخطيب، بيت الخوباني، بيت حسرت، بيت الجوباني، آل فريد، بيت الرديني، بيت عبدالرسول دنجي، آل يسلم، بيت الهويدي، بيت السليماني، بيت خنزازا، بيت العوبدي، بيت محمود مرشد، آل سلطان، آل بارحيم، بيت مستر حمود، آل الكعكي، آل التركي، بيت عبده قربع، آل السكينة، آل العزعزي، بيت الكوكني، آل العاطفي، بيت أنوري، آل الشادلي، آل العكبار، آل الشيباني، آل البيحاني، بيت الدقم، آل خبارة، آل السودي، آل باحميش، آل الميسري، بيت رستم علي، بيت السيد ثابت، بيت الزنقور، بيت الجبلي، بيت مانا، بيت العلس، بيت عبدالقادر سعيد هادي، بيت محمد عبدالقادر، بيت العطار، بيت اليامي، بيت إمداد علي، بيت الشبيلي، بيت باعباد، بيت باشنفر، بيت اليافعي، بيت باحكيم، بيت الكوكني، بيت بلجون، بيت القطيبي، بيت المسلمي، بيت الحمزي، بيت الشيخ الشعيبي، بيت عزيم، بيت إسماعيل كوكني، بيت الدباء، بيت الكدر، بيت الدفر، بيت السندي، بيت الجيلاني، بيت خبارة، بيت باخبيرة، بيت بن شحنة، بيت قدار، بيت الوريثة، بيت مظفر، بيت فقيرة، بيت العمراوي، بيت الكبيشي، بيت علمي نور، بيت ربيع، بيت خالد هندي، بيت البهري، بيت جابر، بيت الإبي، بيت السوقي، بيت المرق، بيت الواكد، بيت الرجعي، بيت محجوب، بيت المسرج، بيت، بيت العجمي، بيت حامد عبدالغني، بيت محمد جعفر شادلي، بيت وديع ثابت، بيت السلفي، بيت النبوتة، بيت ربيع، بيت العاقل، بيت المنصوري، بيت علي إبراهيم نور، بيت السياني، بيت الدفالي، بيت القعر، بيت حامد بنجالي، بيت الويبر، بيت اللكو، بيت البالو، بيت العجينة، بيت الخضر، بيت ملهي، بيت شوقي شفيق، آل الحكيمي، بيت عقلان، بيت الناشري، بيت شماخ، بيت كليب، آل باديب، بيت فاروق رفعت، بيت الهتاري، بيت الباشا، آل حمود الهاشمي، بيت ملهي بيت الحاجب، بيت الفروي، بيت فخري، بيت البحاح، بيت بركات، بيت محمد عبدالله فارع، بيت العولي، بيت الجابري، بين النورجي، بيت عبده علي، بيت أنور إسماعيل، بيت هبة الله، بيت إحسان الله، بيت الرماح، بيت بهادر، بيت الخيبة، بيت الخامري، بيت قردش، بيت السحولي، بيت بابو هندا، بيت الشميري، بيت محمد عبدالله مخشف، بيت الدقمي، بيت الترب، بيت توكل، بيت علي خليل اليناعي، بيت البحصو، بيت هاشم السيد، بيت ناصر محمد باسويد، بيت أحمد يوسف النهاري، بيت عبده الزغير، بيت محمود عقربي، بيت باناجا، بيت الباقر، بيت البغدادي، بيت حسن فقيه، بيت نديم عوض، بيت الروبله، بيت باديب، بيت الباصهي، بيت النهاري، بيت غانم سعد، بيت علي سعد، بيت الصافي، بيت الكتبي، بيت لال جي، بيت القربي، بيت الماستر حسن علي، بيت خليل سليمان، بيت شوالة، بيت عفارة، بيت الأدهل، بيت المقطري، بيت باعبيد، بيت شهاب، بيت الشبوطي، بيت بازرعة، بيت الشبوطي، بيت الرباطي، بيت الصوفي، بيت الجبل، بيت السيد بركات، بيت الفضول، بيت السيقل، بيت الصائغ، بيت العوبلي، آل شمشير، بيت إحسان الله،بيت العرجي، بيت العتربي، بيت الترب، آل باحميش، آل البيحاني، بيت المدراسي، بيت المهتدي، بيت البرو، بيت ناجي الصياد، بيت التركي، بيت الشعيبي، بيت السواكني، بيت الإدوه، بيت بيكاجي، بيت فاتوكا، بيت بنين، بيت البس، بيت عصب والا، بيت الدحوة، بيت علي محبوب، بيت سالم ثابث، بيت محمد أحمد الصياد، بيت حميدان، بيت حسن سالم ثابث، بيت علي أحمد المحلوي، بيت السبراتي، بيت جمن، بيت عفاره، بيت الغضب، آل الحبيشي، بيت علي عيد، بيت النينو، بيت الننو، بيت التيتو، بيت السودي، بيت خنزازه، بيت الأبيض، بيت الحسني، بيت شهاب، بيت النيقة، بيت منور، آل نبيه، أل السعيدي، بيت الواكد، بيت عبده محمد عيسى، بيت عبدالله علي عليوة، بيت غازي عيسى، بيت عبدالسلام فريد، بيت الكلوة، بيت الجمال، بيت عفاره، بيت الدقمي، بيت عبادي، بيت المنيباري، بيت النيقة، بيت القرشي، بيت مبارك، بيت القرشي، بيت الزمريط، بيت جعشان، بيت القعر، بيت الفقيه ، بيت العرجي، بيت الحداد، بيت النعماني، بيت علي هندي، بيت كاليه، بيت سالم علي عبده. بيت البير، بيت الصديفي، بيت علي سعيد، بيت ثابت سلام، بيت إسحاق، بيت السوده، بيت أحمد علي، بيت حامد زليخي، بيت الضالعي.

الأمثال الشعبية #العدنية القديمة

✍🏻 #رامي محمد أبو خالد

تزخر مدينة #عدن بتراث فكري وشعبي غني وعريق يعكس روح أهلها وبساطتهم وحكمتهم المستمدة من تجارب الحياة اليومية وثوارتها الاجيال بعد جيل وفيها تشابه كبير بينها وبين الأمثال العربية ولكنها قيلت بلللهجة العدنية الدارجة.

أكثر 40 مثل من أمثال عدن القديمة والقديمة جداً والتي تمتد بعضها أكثر من 100 عام وبعضها ربما لم تسمعها ابدا نظرا لقدمها ،حاولت أجمع قدر ما أستطيع والبقية عليكم، و من هذه الأمثلة

1. إذا يدك تحت الحجر جُرّها بالبصر (تدل على الحذر والتعامل مع المواقف الصعبة بروية).

2. مد رجلك على قد فراشك (الحث على العيش وفقاً للإمكانيات المتاحة).

3. أبرِد يا مرق لما يجي اللحوح(الصبر مفتاح الفرج وعدم الاستعجال).

4أيش ولّف الرُباح أكل التفاح (تُقال في مقارنة الأذواق أو تقارب شخصين لا يلتقيان بطبيعة الحال

5أسمع كلامك أصدقك وأشوف فعايلك استعجب

6 إذا غاب الأسد ترندع الدُّرين (الثعلب) (إذا غاب صاحب الهيبة تجرأ من هو دونه).

7 أحسبك بُر نقي وأنت زندقي (خيبة الأمل في شخص تبين عكس ما يُظهِر).

8البنت طبينة أمه

9 بوسة من المليح ولا عشر من الخياب(دلالة على تفضيل الجودة).

10بيت الأسد ما يخلى من العظام(البيت القوي أو الأنسان لا تخلو من آثار المواقف ).

11 يغطي عين الشمس بمنخل (محاولة إخفاء الحقيقة الواضحة الفاضحة).

12 تضحك بسن أبيض وتحتها قلب أسود (المجاملة المخادعة والنفاق).

13 جُنان يخارجك ولا عقل يحنبك(أحياناً التصرف بعفوية أو جنون ينقذك من مأزق لا يحله العقل المعقد).

14جني تعرفه ولا إنسي ما تعرفه(الخبرة بالموجودين أضمن من المجهولين).

15جاء يبوسه عوره.

16 حبحبة لا راس ولا رقبة (تُقال للأمر الذي لا شكل له ولا بداية ولا نهاية واضحة).

17حجرة وانتقفت من الأرض (تُقال عند مجيء شخص ثقيل دم أو غير مرحب به مفاجأة اأو مات وريح الناس منه).

18خلاخل والبلى من داخل (مظهر خارجي براق وجوهر سيء وفاسد، وتطلق على المظاهر المخادعة).

19خيبة خُبّة ومرقد الحلبة (تعبير شعري ساخر عن سوء الطالع).

20خيبتي ولا مليحة الناس ( يعني اصبر على نفسك)

21 دبور أدبر هر أغبر (تتابع سوء الحظ والمصائب).

22الذي ما يستحي يفعل ما يشتهي

23الذي ما يربّوه أهله يربيه الزمن والناس (تأثير تجارب الحياة وقسوتها في تهذيب النفوس).

24إذا دخلت بلاد العور.. أعور عينك(مجاراة أهل المكان وتقاليدهم عند حلولك ضيفاً عليهم).

25إذا سرقت أسرق جمل وإذا عشقت أعشق قمر (إذا أقدمت على أمر كبير فليكن ذا قيمة يستحق المغامرة).

26 إذا كثروا الطباخين حرق اللحم (تعدد المسؤولين يفسد العمل).

27إذا وقعت يا فصيح لا تصيح (تحمل عواقب الخطأ بعد التباهي بالفطنة).

28أضْرِب ابنك وأحسن أدبُهُ ما يموت إلا لما يجي أجلُهُ (الحث على التربية الحازمة والصارمة).

29 أنا أمير وأنت أمير ومن بيسوق الحمير؟ (دلالة على أن تسيير أمور الحياة الواقعية يحتاج لعمل وجهد لا مجرد ألقاب وتفاخر).

30ابن الحرام ما يرقدش طارف (فاقد الأمانة أو من يأكل حقوق الناس لا ينام قرير العين).

31 الاسم كبير والعشا قلية (المظاهر الفخمة التي لا يعقبها جوهر حقيقي ولا فائدة).

32 الذي ما كان للنبي ايش بيكون للصحابة

33البسة إذا جاعت تأكل عيالها (تُقال في قسوة الحاجة التي تنسي حتى روابط الدم).

34تعب يدي ولا وجع قلبي (العمل الشريف المتعب أفضل من الألم النفسي والذل).

35 تكلمه رطل يفهمك وقية (تُقال للشخص ثقيل الفهم أو بطيء الاستيعاب).

36 جزاء المعروف سبعة كفوف(تُقال عند قلة الوفاء ونكران الجميل من قِبل من أحسنت إليهم).

37 جني عشق عزروط(تُقال للتوافق الغريب بين شيئين غير متناسبين والعزروط جني صغير ).

38 حاسب ريح (الحذر من التقلبات والرياح العاتية في العلاقات أو الظروف).

39حَبْل الكذب قصير (الحقيقة تظهر عاجلاً أم آجلاً).

40 الحجر من الأرض والدم من راسك(الاعتماد على النفس وتحمل نتائج الأفعال).

41حقكم حق وحق الناس مرق(التساهل في حقوق الآخرين والتشدد في حقوق النفس).

42 حمى وضَمى وزرّه من السما (تراكم المصائب والهموم من كل الجهات).

43 خاور ومستحي(تُقال للشخص الذي يخفي ضعفه وكسفه خلف ابتسامة باهتة).

44 خبز يدي والعجين (معرفة الشخص السيئ تماما).

45خَرْجِة مُحجبة لا خرجت عجبَه (الشيء الذي يُبنى عليه أمل كبير ثم يخيب الظن بأسوأ نتيجة).

46خليك في البعسسة(تُقال لمن يشغل نفسه بالتدقيق في التفاصيل الصغيرة التافهة).

47 خَلِيه يدق راسه بالجدار (إعلان اليأس من إصلاح أمر شخص متعنت).

48 دُق الحديد وهو حامي (اغتنام الفرص والوقت المناسب لصنع القرار).

Sheldon J. Plankton from SpongeBob #alithehedgehog #art #arts #artist #pixel

A husband's will to his wife for preparing his burial and paying his debts

Dated in Aden on the 13th of Jumada al-Awwal, 1084 AH, corresponding to 26 August 1673 CE.

Text of the document:

All praise is due to God alone.

Thereafter, when Mu‘awwidah bin Muhammad al-Hadrami passed away in protected Aden, he entrusted his will to his wife Hadiyah bint Mu‘awwidah al-Ja‘di, who was residing in Aden, to carry out the matters of preparing his burial and settling the debts ثابتة عليه (legally established against him). The said free woman appointed Ali bin Mowjir al-Yafi‘i to sell what Mu‘awwidah owned of land in the land of al-Farda, in the direction of al-Zahir, including the irrigated and dry portions, placing him in her own position and accepting his word and action, so that he may sell it on her behalf with good judgment and knowledge, in a final and binding sale, a comprehensive and unrestricted agency. If he sells it, he shall send the price with someone he trusts, in accordance with the noble law of Sharia. The said agent is required to investigate, exert effort, and make inquiry regarding the price as much as possible, to the best of his ability and strength. By this, the testimony was recorded, and God is the best of witnesses.

On the 13th of Jumada al-Awwal, 1084 AH.

Witnessed by:

Ahmed Awad al-Ba‘si, Ali Sa‘id al-Rassas al-Ba‘si, Amer bin Ahmed al-Ba‘si, Ahmed bin Ali al-Ba‘si, Ahmed Nasser Hayedrah.

Also witnessed by:

Salah Duba‘i al-Ba‘si, Sa‘id ibn Ali al-Halimi witnessed it, and Nasser ibn Mowjir heard the agency statement from the woman, and Sa‘d ibn Mowjir witnessed it.

At the top of the document, the following text appears:

All praise is due to God.

It has been established before me that the aforementioned will was entrusted to the persons named, and that the deceased—may God have mercy on him—and the validity of the agency ... to Ali Mowjir in the sale of what was mentioned.

Written by the poor servant of God, Umar bin Alawi bin Hasan al-Husayni, deputy of the sacred Sharia in Aden.

With seal.

History of Sheikh Othman City

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In Secret Document No. 18, dated February 24, 1858, addressed by the British Political Resident in Aden, W. M. Coghlan, to the Governor of India, H. L. Anderson, when plans were already underway to attack Sheikh Othman, Coghlan attempted to provide the British Governor with a brief historical background of the town:

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«"It is appropriate here to give a brief indication of the importance of Sheikh Othman. Fifty years before the present dispute, it was nothing more than a shrine with a mosque where travelers prayed and a station for caravans. Later, a small fort was built nearby, guarded by several members of the Abdali tribe under an officer appointed by the Sultan of Lahej. The remaining inhabitants, numbering about fifty men, worked in fishing and salt collection. Despite the availability of water, no agriculture was established there.»

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«Since the demand for water in Aden increased, Sultan Ali appointed guards for the wells. Members of his tribe then occupied the area, which was a crossroads for routes coming from the interior and through which most of the supplies essential to Aden arrived. The location is of great importance, as whoever controls it can either protect or harass those approaching the gates of Aden.»

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«It lies two and a half miles from Khormaksar, which marks the end of British territory toward Lahej. The area between Sheikh Othman and Lahej is inhabited by the Azeibi clan, a branch of the Abdali tribe.»

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«Our seizure of Sheikh Othman would be a severe blow to Sultan Ali, depriving him of income from the wells and his monthly stipend. This would eventually force him into submission. Occupying Sheikh Othman would also ensure that roads remain open to all centers up to Lahej itself, allowing Aden to trade with other towns without interference from Sultan Ali."»

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According to this document, Sheikh Othman at the beginning of the nineteenth century was still merely the tomb or shrine of the saint Sheikh Othman, after whom it was named, together with a few huts inhabited by about fifty fishermen and salt workers.

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This account is supported by the British traveler Henry Salt, who visited the region in 1809, about thirty years before the British occupation of Aden. While describing Sheikh Othman on his way to Lahej, he wrote:

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«"About half a mile beyond the saint's dome, we entered a dense forest... This forest extends for about eight miles, and it is said that it would take two full days to cross it from west to east."»

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Salt further added:

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«"Sheep and camels could be seen throughout the forest feeding on leaves and tender branches."»

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A map drawn by Captain Haines in 1839 also indicates the existence of a forest in this area.

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There is little doubt that Sheikh Othman was originally a suburb associated with the port settlement of Crater, and its prosperity or decline was linked to the fortunes of Aden itself. However, the present name appears to be no more than about two hundred years old.

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Around the year 1500 CE, records mention that King Abdul Wahab bin Tahir constructed a water channel from outside Aden into Crater from a well called Umm Hait. The channel measured approximately 16,000 yards in length. It is possible that this well was located in what later became Sheikh Othman.

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Following the British occupation of Aden in 1839, Sheikh Othman became the principal gathering point for resistance against British rule. Most of the major attacks launched against Crater during the first fifteen years of British occupation originated from Sheikh Othman.

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For example, on November 11, 1840, around 5,000 Yemeni fighters from the tribes of Lahej and Abyan assembled in Sheikh Othman and attacked Aden. However, because the British controlled the mountains surrounding Aden and possessed superior artillery and weaponry, they repelled the attack near Jabal Hadid. More than 200 Yemeni fighters were killed, 88 wounded, and eight out of every nine prisoners were executed.

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Another attack occurred in July 1841. Yemeni fighters attempted to scale the mountains overlooking Crater, but British artillery fire from both the hills and naval vessels inflicted heavy losses. Approximately 300 Yemenis were killed and 50 wounded. On October 11, the British retaliated by attacking Sheikh Othman, destroying Sheikh Mahdi's guard post and the fort itself.

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Sheikh Othman continued to serve as a center of resistance. When Sharif Ismail arrived with fighters from central Arabia in 1846 to expel the British from Aden, Sheikh Othman became his headquarters. Once again, in 1858, the British under Coghlan attacked the town, destroyed the fort, and forty Yemenis were killed.

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In 1868, the British reached an agreement with the Abdali Sultan to construct a water canal from Sheikh Othman to the Khormaksar isthmus. A large reservoir was built inside the old Ottoman wall near Jabal Hadid to receive the canal water. From there, camels transported water through a tunnel beneath Jabal Hadid into Crater.

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Water remained a major source of conflict between the British and the people of Sheikh Othman, particularly when the Sultan imposed taxes and fees on water transported to Aden.

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As Ottoman influence expanded once again in northern Yemen, the British enlarged their sphere of control. In 1882, they purchased Little Aden from the Aqrabi tribe and Sheikh Othman from the Abdali Sultan for 25,000 riyals.

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The planning and construction of modern Sheikh Othman date from this period. The original settlement was the village of Sheikh Al-Duwail, located beside the saint's tomb from which the city derived its name.

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In 1885, an Italian company established the first salt industry in Sheikh Othman. An Indian company followed in 1899. The growing need for hundreds of workers contributed significantly to the town's expansion. At the same time, overcrowding in Crater encouraged many residents to relocate to Sheikh Othman, particularly because it had fewer water shortages than Crater, Al-Mualla, and Al-Tawahi.

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Its relatively pleasant inland climate, especially at night, also attracted wealthier residents of Crater, who built summer homes and gardens with swimming pools around the town.

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At the beginning of the twentieth century, the saint Hashim Bahr was buried in Sheikh Othman. His shrine soon became more popular than that of Sheikh Othman himself, eventually becoming one of the most important pilgrimage sites in Aden.

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The famous Arab writer Ameen Al-Rihani, who visited Aden in the early twentieth century, described Hashim Bahr in his characteristic satirical style, recounting local stories about him and the circumstances surrounding the construction of his mosque and burial.

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During the First World War, Sheikh Othman came under Ottoman attack. In 1915, Ali Said Pasha captured Lahej, forcing the British to withdraw from Sheikh Othman temporarily.

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The townspeople declared their independence under the leadership of a local strongman known as Benteesha. During this brief period without effective authority, some shops were looted and several merchants were killed. Ottoman troops entered the town for a few days before withdrawing, after which the British reoccupied it.

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Among the oldest institutions in Sheikh Othman was the missionary hospital known as Keith-Falconer Hospital, established in the early twentieth century. It was associated with a school that played an important role in educating the first generation of local youth. The hospital later became known as Affara Hospital, named after Dr. Affara, regarded as the first Yemeni physician.

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After World War I, textile dyeing workshops were established in Sheikh Othman. Another district, Hafa Duba, became known for the production of traditional Yemeni cotton textiles, including the famous Yemeni striped cloth once associated with Zabid and Tihama. Most of these industries disappeared after the 1950s, although some dyeing activities survived.

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Besides the people of Duba, large numbers of migrants from Al-Maqatirah, Lawdar, and Bayhan settled in Sheikh Othman. Many of the Maqatirah migrants arrived after conflicts with Imam Yahya during the 1920s and 1930s.

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The city's importance increased further in the early 1930s when artesian wells were drilled in Al-Kamsari Garden, supplying drinking water to all of Aden.

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In the eastern section of the city, bricks, pottery, ceramics, and construction materials were manufactured, giving rise to the district known as Al-Mamdara.

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Alcohol was also produced in that area, and the Jewish community had its own streets in Sheikh Othman. During the disturbances of 1947, dozens of Jews were killed, and the remainder emigrated to Palestine. A special camp called Hashid Camp was later established west of the city to facilitate the emigration of Yemeni Jews after World War II.

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In the southeastern part of the city were the barracks of the Levies, the locally recruited Yemeni military force established after World War I. One of the nearby gardens also became the headquarters of the Government Guard and Tribal Guard forces in the late 1930s.

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In 1942, the people of Sheikh Othman revolted over the case of Abdullah Sharaf, and many were killed in his defense.

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During the 1950s, approximately one thousand small housing units were built in the western district, known as Hawafi Al-Laban, to accommodate the growing population. Another western area was opened for settlement and later became known as Cairo City.

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According to the 1955 census, Sheikh Othman had a population of 29,879 inhabitants.

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Illustration

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One of the rare drawings of the Ottoman Mosque in Sheikh Othman dating from the eighteenth century.

The loudspeakers of the mosques in old Crater district of Aden resonate during the holy month of Ramadan with chants, praises, and welcoming hymns unlike those heard in other mosques across the governorate, creating a deeply spiritual atmosphere during the blessed month.

The Sufi-oriented mosques of Aden have preserved these Ramadan welcomes and chants since their emergence during the Ayyubid Dynasty over 900 years ago. Followers of this tradition continue to preserve these customs generation after generation, following the legacy of their ancestors.

Groups of adults and children with beautiful voices stand in organized rows inside the mosques of the old city, reciting chants, supplications, and praises after the obligatory prayers and Taraweeh prayers, expressing their love and reverence for the holy month.

Sheikh Aseel Al-Kahali, one of the preservers of these chants, told Almahriah Net that the muwashahat (traditional poetic chants) specifically appeared during the Andalusian civilization. There are many differing opinions about their origins, but some sources say they arrived in Yemen during the Ayyubid era in the 6th century Hijri. He explained that they evolved from forms of chanting, praise poetry, and devotional recitation that had been part of Arab and Islamic civilization since the time of the Prophet.

Al-Kahali added:

“Aden became famous for many muwashahat related to welcoming and bidding farewell to Ramadan, including chants such as ‘Welcome, O Fasting People’ and ‘Marhaban Marhaban Ramadan,’ which became well known across many regions of our country and throughout the Arab and Islamic world.”

Regarding the difference between chants welcoming Ramadan and those bidding it farewell, Al-Kahali explained that welcoming chants encourage Muslims to prepare spiritually for the month through fasting, night prayers, charity, reading the Qur’an, performing good deeds, abandoning sins, and remembering the rewards promised by God for worshippers and fasting believers.

These welcoming chants are performed in Aden from the middle of the month of Sha’ban until the beginning of Ramadan, and some mosques continue them during the first days of Ramadan. Farewell chants, performed near the end of the holy month, differ in wording by encouraging worshippers to make the most of the remaining days of Ramadan, warning against neglecting the opportunity for devotion, and encouraging believers to maintain their spiritual dedication even after Ramadan ends.

Ramses Hossam Al-Din, supervisor of one of the old mosques, confirmed that Aden was among the pioneering Arab cities in preserving this traditional heritage, alongside places such as Egypt, the cities of the Levant and Iraq, as well as local Yemeni cities like Tarim and Seiyun.

He added:

“These chants bring comfort, tranquility, and joy to people’s hearts, especially during the blessed month. They revive spiritual emotions, help purify the mind and heart, and place a person in a state of serenity with God.”

Ramadan chants continue to serve as a spiritual window that fills mosques, markets, alleys, and neighborhoods with religious and emotional atmosphere, preserving traditions inherited by the city’s residents from one generation to the next.

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Document

Petition from merchants of the Yemeni ports to the Governor of Jeddah (1847 CE)

Content:

A group of merchants from the Yemeni ports submitted a petition to the Governor of Jeddah, explaining that they were living under hardship, siege, and distress as a result of the ongoing conflict between Sherif Hussein bin Ali Haydar and the Imam of Sana'a, Muhammad bin Yahya.

They appealed for relief, protection, and assistance from the Ottoman State, considering themselves Ottoman subjects.

Signatories of the Petition:

Hajj Saeed bin Omar Basamad

Mohammed Saeed Bahmadoun

Mohammed Basuwaidan

Ali bin Salem Jarhoum

Hajj Mohammed Jarhami

Mohammed Saeed Bajunaid

Hajj Awad bin Ali Balfaqih

Hajj Saleh Bahawrath

Hajj Omar Barase'

Hajj Abdullah Dahman

Hajj Abu Bakr Qahtan

Source:

The document was published by the Imperial Chancery (Dar al-Saltanah) and the Ottoman Documents Archive Portal.

Note:

Most of the names mentioned in the document are believed to belong to merchants from Aden.

يُعدّ التراث الموسيقي في Aden جزءًا عميقًا من الهوية الثقافية لجنوب الجزيرة العربية، وقد أسهم الشيخ والفنان Awad Abdullah Al-Muslimi في تطوير الأغنية العدنية والحفاظ على الموشحات والألحان اليمنية التقليدية.

English Translation

The Musical Heritage and Contributions of the Late Sheikh and Artist Awad Abdullah Al-Muslimi

Every civilization must benefit from its musical heritage and its cultural and scientific achievements.

It can even go beyond that, for civilizational accumulation is the treasure and reservoir from which all civilizations draw.

Despite these scientific and cultural facts, many researchers confirm that civilization in Aden was distinguished by creativity, beginning with architectural engineering in the construction of the famous cisterns and Sira Fortress, as well as palaces, museums, mosques, and artistic decorations of buildings for which the Ghassanids were known. This was in addition to the manufacture of various musical instruments, the most famous of which was the qanbus (or qunbus), whose length ranged from 90 to 100 cm, width about 25 cm, and depth between 12 and 15 cm.

The methods of playing it were either by separation, as shown in the style of the “mutawwal” rhythm, or by blending, which produced a harmonic musical dimension. Historical dictionaries mention that the first person to refer to the qanbus was “E. Lane” in London in 1863. Lane also referred to the writings of Al-Maqrizi (died 1442), who spoke of the Yemeni tanbur instrument known as the mi‘zaf. Later, Al-Zabidi (died 1790) referred to it as the qanbus in his famous dictionary Taj al-‘Arus.

A qanbus instrument is preserved in a museum in Netherlands, brought there by the Dutch orientalist Christiaan Snouck Hurgronje, who embraced Islam and died in Indonesia in 1936. In addition, the Khedive of Egypt presented to the South Kensington Museum in 1874 a rebab instrument resembling the body of the qanbus.

The Yemeni music researcher Abdul Qader Qaed, lecturer at the Institute of Fine Arts in Aden, said regarding the origins of the qanbus:

> “After reading many sources discussing the qanbus, we find that it left traces in many regions of the world.”

This leads us to search for the meaning and origins of the name and its derivations. In Yemen, if we did not call it ṭūbī, we called it qanbus or kīj, as mentioned by the poet Ghānim al-Ab, referring to the Egyptian and Levantine oud known today.

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Sheikh Awad Al-Muslimi and His Contributions to the Development of Adeni Song

In 1860, the family migrated from Shabwah Governorate toward Hadhramaut Governorate on a caravan of camels. In the village of Bir Ali, located on the coastal strip between the two governorates, the artist Awad Abdullah Al-Muslimi was born. For this reason, he was nicknamed “Awad Al-Bi’r” (“Awad of the Well”). This was mentioned in the book Al-Muslimi: His Life and Art by the poet Ahmed Bu Mahdi.

Al-Muslimi came from a relatively well-off family, though illiteracy was widespread among both rural and urban populations at the time. He mastered playing the simsimiyya instrument with remarkable skill.

He arrived in Aden in 1928, where he met the artist Omar Mahfouz Ghaba, who admired his voice and began taking him to musical gatherings and celebrations as a percussion player. Ghaba encouraged him greatly and taught him how to tune the oud strings in preparation for learning the instrument.

Although visually impaired, Al-Muslimi succeeded in mastering the oud and tuning its strings. He was known for his extraordinary ability to memorize melodies quickly. It was said that Sheikh Ali Abu Bakr Bashaheel feared performing any newly arrived song from Sanaa Governorate or Yafa‘ in Al-Muslimi’s presence, because he would memorize it almost instantly.

Al-Muslimi’s fame spread rapidly through weddings and social gatherings, extending beyond Aden to rural areas of Somalia and Djibouti. He formed his own small musical ensemble and worked with musicians such as Mohammed Saad Abdullah, who benefited greatly from accompanying him and learning different styles of Yemeni music.

The first song recorded by Al-Muslimi on gramophone records was the poem “Man lil-Bab Dha al-Mughlaq” by Abdul Majid Al-Asnah, set to the melody of the famous song by Al‑Qumandan, “Hali Ya ‘Inab Raziqi”, in 1951.

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Art, Discipline, and Commitment

Awad Abdullah Al-Muslimi possessed a beautiful voice and was considered one of the finest performers of Yemeni muwashshahat. He memorized numerous Yemeni and Arabic poems, placing him among the great singers of his era such as Sheikh Ali Abu Bakr Bashaheel.

In his final years, he suffered from cancer and traveled to Kuwait for treatment, where he stayed for three months. He returned to Aden in improved health in 1975, but the illness soon returned. He passed away on Saturday, November 1, 1975, after dedicating forty-seven years of his life to serving Yemeni music.

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From the Old Musical Heritage

The poet Abdullah Al‑Nakhbi wrote in his lyrical poem “Azim Al-Sha’n”, later beautifully performed by the great late singer Mohammed Murshid Naji. The song belongs to the traditional heritage with a Yafa‘i rhythm:

> Great in stature, grant me my wish,

And be gentle with the one who seeks You.

By the People of the House, masters of mankind,

A means for whoever calls upon You with sincere hope.

I have known people, hidden and revealed,

And observed their deeds, so I became cautious of them.

They laugh while darkness fills within them,

Hearts immersed in faults and blame.

So I chose solitude and withdrawal from people,

For isolation became my refuge.

My tears flow like rivers,

And my eyes are calmed only by reunion with you.

Fear God, O ruler of my heart,

Your promise brings goodness and grace.

O God, You are the giver to every valley,

The One who counts every cloud and rainfall.

Blessings upon the Prophet as long as camel riders chant

And caravans journey toward Ṭaybah.

Distinguished dishes in special occasions have become so ingrained that people now eat certain meals on specific days of the week as part of customs and traditions that have been firmly rooted in their minds since ancient times, handed down as a heritage from father to son. This is evident in the Indian dal dish, which is especially associated with the people of Aden, particularly on Fridays during family gatherings, as well as zurbiyan with al-ʿashār and hulwā.

Aden’s restaurants also have a long history rooted in ancient Yemeni culinary heritage, while also blending with the cuisines of various countries that have historically been connected to Yemen through different eras.

Aden’s kitchens and restaurants have played an important role in preserving culinary heritage, to the point that they have almost become an inseparable part of history. Some of these popular restaurants are as old as 100 years. This was mentioned by Mohammed Al-Baydani, the Adeni writer and political historian based in Copenhagen, in an article titled “Popular Restaurants in Aden.” He noted that these restaurants have not changed their locations, or even the style of their furnishings, in order to preserve their old identity and the historical reputation for which they became known and distinguished. This has made these famous restaurants part of the national heritage in the field of cuisine, not merely places to eat.

Charging the RPG, getting ready to throw an animation, it takes 4 days, and I'm sorry for the delay. I was busy with university exams, and I hope you understand my situation.