A City Situated In an Extinct Volcanic Crater

Home > Yemen > A City Situated In an Extinct Volcanic Crater – Aden, Yemen

Aden in Yemen is a seaport located along the Red Sea with its old town beautifully nestled on an extinct volcanic crater. The old town natural harbor, now a peninsula is joined to the mainland via an isthmus. Aden was the capital of the People’s Democratic Republic of Yemen until its unification with Yemen Arab Republic. The volcanic port enclosing the harbor on the western front is called Little Aden while the larger eastern harbor and port form the modern port of Aden. An ancient town, Aden’s history dates back to the 1st century though some believe that the town has a history that is as old as mankind itself.

Like most towns and cities, Aden too was dominated by different foreign powers. It was ruled by the Portuguese and Ottoman powers for several years in turn before the British East India Company sent in the Royal Marines to stop pirates from looting their ships transferring goods to and fro from India to Great Britain. Aden became a part of British India until 1937, when it was separated and became a British Crown Colony and was called the Colony of Aden. Lying at a convenient juncture, Aden became a significant town where mail for Africa, India and Europe could be exchanged for faster pick up and delivery.

One of the most popular historic sites in Aden are the Cisterns of Tawila, which are a series of massive tanks built out of volcanic rocks and stucco mixed with volcanic ash to form a strong and impermeable structure. The tanks, which are in different sizes, were designed to collect rainwater to prevent the flooding of the city that happened often in those days. When these water reservoirs were actually built is still unknown and no renovations were ever carried out, turning the place into shambles until the arrival of the British. What we see today are cisterns that were recreated by the British. The Cisterns of Tawila only remain as a tourist attraction today.

Other historical places of tourist interest include the Sira Fort, the British Churches, Zoroastrian Temple, Aden Minaret, Fortifications of the Jebal Hadid and Jebal Shamsan, the Al Aidaroos Mosque, the Palace of the Sultanate of Lahej, which is now the National Museum, the Rimbaud House, the Aden Military Museum and the fascinating beaches of both Aden and Little Aden. The Aden International Airport, just nine and a half kilometer from the town connects Aden to parts of Europe and the other countries in the Gulf.