Tiresome Tarim

At times, travellers will find themselves partaking in an activity or visiting a town not so much for personal interest, but as a means to fill in some time. While in Eastern Yemen, i found myself doing just that. Even with priorities set on other attractions in the region, i still found myself with a lot of time to kill. The town of Tarim didn't really sound too exciting, but i have been surprised by places in the past. Figuring i wouldn't be in the region again, i opted to check the place out.

If relying on CNN or BBC as a travel information source, the region

around Tarim (Wadi Hadramaut) will be better known as the most religiously conservative part of Yemen, ancestral home of the Bin Laden family and hiding place of al-Qaida in the Arabian Peninsula (AQAP). While some of this may have a base of truth, a visit to Tarim will perhaps shed a different light. Tarim has, for centuries been a major centre of Islamic learning. It is easily the cultural and educational heart of the region, and even into the extended Muslim world. There are more mosques here than goats (not an actual figure). The Madresses (Islamic schools) are not populated with Jihadist hell bent on the destruction of the Western world, but instead by a shockingly multi-national population simply wishing to further their studies. Hadrami merchants remained extraordinarily successful until the 20th century. Returning to their spiritual homeland to create elaborate palaces as a testament to their overseas conquests.

However, for your average tourist, all this doesn't really amount to much. All mosques are closed to non-Muslims and many rest behind large walls blocking outside views. The palaces are much the same. And if not for the psychedelic neon paint jobs, they would hardly stand out against the towering cliffs. And obviously sitting in on a class is out of the question. Instead, a travellers will be led to the main attraction of the city. The 40 meter minaret of the al-Muhdar mosque (the tallest in the country) as depicted on the 500 YR note. The main library in town is open to the public, boasting some 5,000 manuscripts. But the vast majority of them are hidden away, and while some are beautifully displayed (no English label), the place is of little interest to travellers.

Getting to Tarim from Seiyun is easy enough. Mini buses leave in each direction with relative frequency for only a couple hundred Rials each way. There are also shared taxis for the same cost. For more comfort, a private taxi there and back plus waiting time shouldn't cost more than 2,000-3,000 Rials. Remember, you will have to take a military escort anywhere outside your hotel.

For me, the actually highlight of the trip was not the city itself,

but it was the journey there. Littering the desert floor are numerous extremely photogenic little castles and forts and such. Each slowly melting away, back into the sand which originally gave them life. As for Tarim, it is most certainly not the main draw of the country, or even the region. And it's definitely not a reason to come halfway around the world. For an outsider, Tarim is actually of very little interest other than taking a picture of a tall minaret. Instead, the heart and soul of Tarim is hidden away behind closed mosque doors and tall walls. It is a place only for the eyes of the faithful, not for the lens of a tourist's camera. But, even still, it makes for a time-filling morning trip while waiting for the sunset photo at nearby Shibam.