NATIONAL PROFILE

"Return  to Aden:" 
Rediscovering Yemen, the land of a thousand tales

By Dr. T.I.Farag FRCP(E), FACP

To commemorate the new millennium, the Ambassadors will dedicate this section of the magazine to special profiles of the world's countries and their peoples. Historians, travelers, scientists, and anthropologists have ventured into virtually every land formation on earth to document human life. The purpose of this section is to present these endeavors from the eyes of an artist. This artist, a distinguished cartoonist who's work is recognized worldwide, has been globetrotting for the most part of life investigating the living conditions of humans. Himself a product of the third world system, Ahmed Toughan, 74, has dedicated his professional career and artistic works to the emancipation and empowerment of those living under economic hardship, political obstruction, and oppressed freedom; a theme that emerges from most of his works. For this reason, The Ambassadors staff will dedicate this section of the magazine to Toughan's paintings, with each issue concentrating on a single nation.

This profile looks at a nation who's history dates back to the conceptions of human civilization. Catapulted to the international scene by a recent terrorist attack on the battleship USS Cole, Yemen has been highlighted negatively in the majority of global media. In this section, we present another side of Yemen that remains camouflaged and hidden from mainstream consciousness. A mystical land where Adam and Eve are thought to be buried and the original home of the coffee bean, Yemen has fascinated generations of visitors, tourists and passersby.  Its people have been known for their immense generosity, genuine hospitality, trustworthiness, strong sense of patriotism, communal collectivity, and harmony with their harsh natural habitat. The Yemenis are truly a people who have survived the test of time, eager to develop and compete in a world of possibilities, yet keen to remain true to a rich heritage.

President of the Republic of Yemen, Ali Abdullah Saleh

In the 1960s, the Yemeni people succeeded to overcome isolation and were catching up rapidly with modernization. The Economist noted that "Yemen succeeded in a few years to pass from the 13th to the 14th century!" President Ali Abdulla Saleh, the unifier of Yemen, and his government implemented many developmental projects that have marked an improvement in all aspects of life, especially in education with the establishment of many regional universities and institutions of higher learning. The the past two decades, the Republic of Yemen has established strong collaborative relations with its neighbors and other world nations, a move that has assisted infrastructural development in the country. The Chinese aided Yemen in the creation of a new large textile industry; the United Arab Emirates assisted in the construction of a new dam to replace the old historic dam of Maarib; the Russians helped establish a Traumatology Center; the Americans provided assistance in the formation of clean water systems and better roads; Saudi Arabia increased their foreign investments in Yemen supporting the country's economy; and the Egyptians contributed with their expertise in the new universities, schools and healthcare centers. Over the years, many countries were competing to provide assistance to the Yemenis in developing their country, after a long period of isolation and strife.

Toughan in Yemen

This issue's megastar and renowned political cartoonist, Ahmed Toughan, is preparing a gallery illustrating his journeys in Yemen, through his artistic drawings. During his ten visits to the country over a period of 40 years, Toughan has compiled a library of works about Yemen and developed a strong bond with the tribes, the communities, the buildings, the environment, and all that he came in contact with. Since that time, Toughan has produced galleries of water paintings, sketches and cartoons about Yemen that have been published in seven books and presented in several international exhibitions. In true and genuinely-arousing colors and strokes, Toughan's pieces presented here capture a Yemen that transcends time and space, whose ambiance is penetrative and transporting. His art exudes a mystique that penetrates materiality while embodying all that moves his aesthetic essence.  We hope that these images will move you the same way they moved me.      

Toughan, for the moment of his arrival, was fascinated by the ancient city of Sana'a, build like a fortress with 6 prominent doors (gates), each leading to a different markets. The most famous of which is Khozayma Gate. Much debate has surrounded  the origins of the name Khozayma Gate on Sanaa Wall. Some historians mention that Khozayma  was a young European lady, daughter of a herb and spice trader in Sanaa. When she left Yemen she couldn't forget the country's sun, trees, mountains, sky, and breeze. When she died she asked to be buried in Yemen with all her property and belongings in gold and precious treasures. Dr. Claudie Fayein, a French physician who traveled to Yemen in 1951 published in her book En Francaise Medicin au Yemen that they found Khozayma's body buried with her riches with a letter in Arabic stating her donations to the people of Yemen in gratitude for their generosity and as a token of love. The people of the city used these riches to build houses, water wells, and bought lands and distributed them to the people. 

In Yemen, there are thousands of tales surrounding every aspect of the environment. One ancient tree, depicted below in Toughan's drawing is claimed to be a resting place for the Moroccan globetrotter, Ibn Battuta, who traveled the world and documented his treks in the 14th century. Another frequently-cited story is that of the legendary Queen of Sheba, who is thought to have lived in what is modern-day Yemen. Recent excavations have uncovered her famous temple and is currently restoring its pylons (NEWS).

Every rock, brick, plant and piece of land in Yemen is filled with myths, legends and stories. The country's unique buildings, gates, mountains, riches and people are truly of another realm.

As evident from his sketches, Toughan was intrigued by architecture throughout Yemen, and the "tower-like" houses in Sanaa, which although resembling European castles and fortresses of the Middle Ages, were decorated with very intricate Islamic designs. On top of his fascination with the architecture, Toughan spent a lot of time with the Yemeni people throughout the country which gave rise to many drawings illustrating the faces of each tribe's people, including the Naham, Hada, Zobyan, Sahar, Morad, and Bani Al-Haris whom can be identified from their face, complexion, head dress, and style (see picture). Toughan also documented and represented the social classes in Yemen in some of his paintings, such as that of the Yemeni judge with his bodyguard leaving the court building (see picture). It is from that image that the wisdom of the judge is apparent.

During the last 35 years, thousands of children, boys and girls, continued their education as a result of the ongoing modernization and development and subsequent creation of community schooling and higher education. In 1965, Toughan drew the picture of two Yemeni boys smiling on their way to their new schools. Today, there are many prominent Yemeni doctors, lawyers, engineers, journalists and university professors. "Prince" Naseem Hamed, the Yemeni-born international boxer, is one of the symbols of modern Yemen. 

Further Readings:

Claudie Fayein .  En Francaise Medicin au Yemen. Paris, 1955.

Abdel Moneim Mohamed Ali. Evolution of Medical Services in Yemen. Cairo, 1971.

Talaat Iskandar. I was a Medical Doctor in Yemen. (In Arabic - Konto tabeeban fil Yemen). 2nd edition. Cairo, 1975.

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