Baked in Zabid

Academia is certainly nothing new in human history. While we may consider places like Harvard or Oxford our traditional benchmarks of education (with U of Texas the new generation "party school"), these places pale in comparison to other, even more historical centres of learning. In western Yemen there lies a town which, although now past it's "use by" date, was once the ultimate site for Quranic and scientific study. It is the ancient walled city of Zabid.

Zabid can trace it's origins pretty much all the way back to the dawn of Islam. As a matter of fact, many of the city's residents today can trace their family lineage back to the Islamic Profit Muhammad. But it is not the age of the place that makes it famous. Almost from the towns inception, Madrassas (Islamic schools) began to teach the locals. In particular, the University of Zabid grew tremendously in notoriety as one of the best of it's kind. And the scientific education brought us such fun studies as Algebra. The city even acted as the country's capital about 500-700 years ago. With notoriety came students, with students came money, with students and money came art. The city flourished. But around 500 years ago, the city began to fall out of fashion and was essentially allow to petrify in the unforgiving Yemeni sun. In 1993, Zabid was added to the UNESCO World Heritage list, although in 2000, it's listing was changed to endangered.

While the history may or may not interest the average traveller, it's not necessarily the history one comes to visit. The buildings in the walled city of Zabid, became a bit of a stone tapestry. A medium to express art of the time. These were not palaces or castles or other extravagant edifices, but people's homes. This is not ostentatious in-your-facedness, instead each of these masterpieces are hidden away in private courtyards for the enjoyment of their individual denizens or special invited guests. Designs depict typical Middle Eastern geometrical shapes, snakes, spiders and even numerous Stars of David. Each home is unique, each one-of-a-kind, each spectacular.
Wandering around the streets, in all it's non-sensitcal layout, might be rewarding enough for some. The old Souk (market) is alive with blacksmiths and weavers and cheap Chinese crap sellers. The people are lovely and it's almost impossible to avoid an impromptu marching band of local children attempting a horrible 10-part harmony of "hellos". In general, hellos and salaams fly as freely as the dust in the air. While it might be viable to rely on the friendliness of the local population to procure an invite into a house or 2, without question Zabid is a kind of place where you need a "guide". They aren't hard to find as notice of the arrival of any visitor spreads through the town like a wild fire. And they will find you, considering there's only 1 real accommodation choice in town. It seems that shared taxis stop in the nearby village of al-Jarrasi if coming from Ta'izz (YER 700, 2+ hours). But Yemitco bus lines have an office a few hundred metres from the old town's main gate. Buses to Ta'izz or Aden (YER 2,000, 8 hours with stops) leave twice a day. If heading north, al-Hudaydah is the usual transport hub.


Even with it's UNESCO listing and historical fame, Zabid isn't exactly a tourist hotspot. Actually, i had the place all to myself when i was there. It is this rarity perhaps that sparks the curiosity of locals which are among the friendliest in already friendly abundant Yemen. With a colourful history, magnificent architecture and wonderful people, it would truly be a shame to miss Zabid when visiting Yemen.