Speaker A
What will we do in Happy Yemen? This is Happy Yemen. Sayun, Shibam, Tarim, Wadi Dawan… Welcome to Yemen.
Explore Yemen's Hadhramaut region, its rich history, culture, famous honey, traditional dishes, and iconic mud skyscrapers.
Ask about this video. Answers come from its transcript only — with the timestamp, so you can check them.
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Key Takeaways
- Hadhramaut is a culturally rich and historically significant region of Yemen with unique architecture and traditions.
- Sidr honey from Hadhramaut is globally renowned for its quality and health benefits.
- Traditional Yemeni dishes like Mandi have deep roots in Hadhramaut and are prepared in large quantities daily.
- Shibam’s mud skyscrapers are among the oldest high-rise buildings in the world, reflecting innovative adaptation to environmental challenges.
- Yemeni hospitality and cultural identity remain strong despite historical and modern challenges.
What the video covers
- Introduction to Hadhramaut region cities: Sayun, Shibam, Tarim, Wadi Dawan, and Mukalla.
- Yemen's ancient civilizations and kingdoms, highlighting its historical significance as 'Happy Yemen'.
- Sayun's palace, the largest mud building in the world, and the cultural importance of Hadhrami food like Mandi and Biryani.
- Daily preparation of authentic Mandi in Sayun's largest kitchen, serving hundreds of people.
- Hadhramaut's famous Sidr honey, its production, market, and health benefits, including a 106-year-old man’s testimony.
- Visit to Wadi Dawan's apiaries and explanation of bee behavior and honey harvesting.
- Shibam, known as the 'Manhattan of the Desert', with its historic mud skyscrapers dating back over 600 years.
- Insights into Hadhramaut's social fabric, tea culture, and traditional hospitality.
- Exploration of local markets, street foods like Krash, and diverse cultural practices across Yemen.
- Historical resilience of Hadhramaut people, including their role in defeating invasions and maintaining cultural heritage.
Chapters
- 00:00Welcome to Happy Yemen and Hadhramaut
- 01:35Yemen's Ancient History and Kingdoms
- 02:34Sayun Palace and Largest Mud Building
- 03:49Authentic Mandi Preparation in Sayun
- 04:58Al-Hanzal Market and Sidr Honey Introduction
- 07:24Beehive Visit and Honey Harvesting in Wadi Dawan
- 09:57Longevity and Health Benefits of Sidr Honey
- 12:00Exploring Shibam: Manhattan of the Desert
- 14:46Hadhramaut Social Life, Tea Culture, and Hospitality
- 20:39Local Markets, Street Food, and Cultural Diversity
Full Transcript — Download SRT & Markdown
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...and Mukalla. They are wonderful cities located in Yemen in a region called Hadhramaut. Wadi Dawan in Hadhramaut.
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Where we hear about the Hadhramis, Hadhramaut restaurants, and Sidr honey. This is liquid gold.
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It's a precious treasure. It all comes from here. Our country. Mukalla city. This is their caviar, it's called Krash.
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This is Hadhramaut. Yemen has been present throughout history with its civilizations and kingdoms, starting with the Kingdom of Sheba, Hadhramaut, and Himyar, passing through the Rasulid, Zaidi, and Tahirid states, all the way to the era of the Republic.
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Yemen was present on the world map thousands of years before America even existed, and it was known as Happy Yemen.
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O Hadhramaut, rejoice. Welcome to Hadhramaut. Hadhramaut! This is the first city we arrived in, Seiyun.
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How are you? Welcome, guys, to Yemen finally! In Sayun, Hadhramaut. You are welcome. Your visit is an honor for us, Sayun, Hadhramaut, and all of Yemen.
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Hadhrami food, Hadhrami culture, and merchants, Yemen is a world in itself. We know that Yemen is called Happy Yemen.
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Is this a vintage ATM? This is the first thing you see, the palace of Sayun, which is one of the most famous palaces in Yemen.
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This is considered the largest mud building in the world. This is the first thing you see when you arrive in this city.
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Yemen is a vast country with an area of 555,000 km². Its territory extends along the coasts of the Arabian Sea and the Gulf of Aden in the south with a length of 1,500 kilometers and turns around the Bab al-Mandab Strait
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to head north to the governorates of Taiz, Al-Hudaydah, and Hajjah in western Yemen, with a coastline about 750 km long and a population of 35 million.
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Hadhramaut's Mandi, the authentic dish. Of course. This is the most famous Yemeni dish in the world, Mandi.
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You will find Mandi everywhere around the world in restaurants called Hadhramaut. Today we will see how it's cooked in the largest kitchen in the city of Sayun.
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This happens here in this kitchen at 7 a.m. every day. Imagine, it's like this every day!
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They put chicken and meat underground in huge quantities. Mandi lovers come here daily. This is how they make the authentic Mandi.
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This dish is very famous in Hadhramaut and then spread to all parts of the world.
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- It's the best in the world. - The best. They say that this seasoning is special to the restaurant and is the secret of authentic Mandi.
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They say they prepare... 700 chickens a day. Huge amounts of rice. There are 400 people who will eat this.
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He put the marinade on. This method is specific to chicken Mandi. He'll put the chicken down now.
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Now they will take the chicken out. This is how they strain the rice. It's like a waterfall of hot water, like a jacuzzi.
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This is the Biryani marinade. This is the authentic Biryani marinade. This is called Borma meat.
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This is the famous breakfast in Hadhramaut. This is the breakfast... in Hadhramaut. Hadhrami breakfast.
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This is the most famous lunch in the world, Mandi. We've been doing this for generations.
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Here in Sayun, there is a market for Al-Hanzal, which is the melon seeds. This is Al-Hanzal market.
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- This is Al-Hanzal. - Exactly. - There's a whole market for it? - Yes. Free Palestine... Sidr honey is the finest type of honey.
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Contact us and we'll get it to you! Yemen is famous for producing honey, Sidr honey.
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This is a local market where beekeepers and traders meet. Beekeepers and traders meet in this market.
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I'm a honey merchant in Sayun, Hadhramaut. Wadi Dawan in Hadhramaut is home to the finest honey in the world.
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God bless you. Thank you. You are famous for producing honey in Yemen, right? - The best in the world. - Yes, this honey is the best in the world.
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This honey is from the valleys of Hadhramaut, like Dawan and most of the valleys of Hadhramaut.
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Yes. This one costs $400. It's Sidr honey. "In which there is healing for people." (Al-Nahl 16:69) This one costs $700.
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This is honey from Dawan, as Sidr trees are widespread in Dawan and it has many apiaries.
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- From Dawan. - Yes. We went to Wadi Dawan to visit an apiary. So that the bees don't sting you.
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Will they attack us? It's for protection. Only me? Okay. We make some smoke to calm the bees down.
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Then we search for a hive. This is called a hive. - This is a hive? - Yes, this is all a beehive, this box.
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Bees go looking for flowers. This is the Sidr tree. This is the Sidr flower.
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Sidr honey is the best type of honey. If you do not wear a face mask, you could get stung and swollen.
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They could sting me now? It may cause you an issue if it stings you, such as an allergy or anything.
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Bees always defend their hive and honey. They are afraid we will take their honey away.
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So, they resist it? Look, it's going to sting me now. Look at it. Its stinger remains in the body and the bee dies.
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She shoots and then leaves. They defend their hive. Until death? Until death, of course.
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They are strong because their numbers are large. Look, this is the queen. Okay, this is the Sidr honey.
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This is the liquid gold. In the name of Allah. It cleanses you inside. "From you, Dawan's honey, is the sustenance of lovers." Amazing! This is Yemen.
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From the door to the door. - Contact us... - And we'll get it to you. This 106-year-old man is a living example of the benefits of honey in strengthening the body’s immunity and resisting diseases.
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The secret to maintaining health for the longest possible period lies in Yemeni Sidr honey.
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I drive this big car alone and without glasses. Praise be to Allah. Long live Jordan!
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I'm Gaafar Mohammed Hussein Al-Sakkaf. I was born in 1918. 1918! - And he got married recently? - Yes, he recently got married four years ago.
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Now I am 106 years old. May Allah bless your lives as He has blessed mine.
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This historian and writer is very famous in Hadhramaut and he knows the entire history of Hadhramaut.
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He witnessed the First and Second World Wars. The First and Second World Wars. What is the secret to your longevity?
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Every day in the morning I eat seven dates from Madinah. Seven dates? Seven dates from Madinah, and after that I also ate honey.
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Hadhrami honey? Yes, Hadhrami honey. For how many years have you been doing this routine?
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For 105 years. God bless! He is still healthy. May Allah bless your life more and more.
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From the city of Seiyun, we drove for 15 minutes to an amazing city, a city called Shibam, which is called Manhattan of the Desert, with its towering mud buildings that hug the sky and have been standing for hundreds of years.
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Do you see this gate that we will enter now? It will take us to a historic city classified as a World Heritage Site.
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Manhattan of the desert. There is a Manhattan in New York, but this is Manhattan of the desert.
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In Yemen. - Were you born in Shibam? - Yes. Do you love this city? Of course I love it, and not just this city, but all of Yemen, our country.
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What do you like most about this city? That it's a historical city. It's like an open museum.
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- You all know each other here? - Yes. We are like one family. Do you see these windows?
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They say these were the first skyscrapers in the world. The first skyscrapers in the world.
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These are mud houses that are more than 600 years old. Before there were similar buildings in New York and around the world, these were the first skyscrapers in the world.
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They are mud houses. Look how many floors. Look how many windows! All residents know each other here.
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Because of the floods besieging the city of Shibam, they had no solution but to build high floors.
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From seven to 15 floors. This is what you see when you stand on top of a skyscraper.
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Look, this is one of the skyscrapers. This is great! Look at the view! You are welcome.
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Our homes are open to host you. The city of Shibam was coveted by all countries.
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You cannot rule Hadhramaut without ruling the city of Shibam. - Because it's commercially... - Politically, economically, and militarily.
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Shibam is a historical, a pr
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The people of the city care about each other, they are as interconnected as their homes.
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Then we moved to the city of Tarim, the capital of Islamic culture, where there were 400 mosques.
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It is the capital of Islamic culture throughout time and eternity. From Sayun, we went to the city of Shibam, then on the other side of the city, we came here to this city, the city of Tarim.
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This is the famous Hadhrami tea? Yes, this is the famous Hadhrami tea. -These are the accessories? -Yes.
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-This is called Bukhari tea. -Yes, Bukhari tea. It has different colors, there is the red and the green.
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Although Yemen is famous for its coffee, they drink tea every day. They have all these accessories in their home.
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The tea here has different colours, not just one color. Wonderful! This art is called Al-Dan, which means humming.
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You will see how he hums now. This art came from this city, the city of Tarim.
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It was the capital of many kingdoms that existed before and after Islam. This is the Almihdhar Mosque here in the city of Tarim, and this minaret is said to be the largest clay minaret in the world.
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We met this man by chance and he is from South Africa. Here in Tarim.
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-Hello. Peace be upon you. -Peace and mercy be upon. Peace be upon you. -Peace and mercy be upon you. -Malaysia or Indonesia?
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-Indonesia. -Indonesia? Yes. -Peace be upon you. How are you? -Peace and mercy be upon you.
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This is our other friend who is also from South Africa and is of German origin.
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I came here mainly to learn Arabic at Dar Al-Mustafa. My intention was to stay here for a year but after living here for a year, I loved the place and stayed here.
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-Really? -Yes. Happy Yemen is a charming place! You're also wearing the traditional dress! Yeah, I've become a Hadhrami.
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I loved Yemen more than my country. My country is beautiful, but Yemen is better.
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Yemenis are one of the best people. This is his tent. We must drink coffee.
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Did you build this tent? Yes, praise be to Allah. Look at the view he has.
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Praise be to Allah. He says he is comfortable here and away from the hustle and bustle of the cities.
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-I'm the one who should invite you. -Next time, God willing. -So Yemen is not a dangerous place? -Not at all, these are just rumours.
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Please have a seat, come on in. You're welcome. You must pour with the left hand so you can give him the cup with the right hand as the Bedouins do.
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-Like Bedouins? -Yes. What does shaking the cup mean? It means he doesn't want more.
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In the name of Allah. In the name of Allah. I loved the atmosphere and the beautiful customs, the culture here is beautiful.
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There is nothing more beautiful than the Arab culture, not the Yemeni culture alone, but the entire Arab culture.
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From Yemen to Morocco to Jordan. The problem in the West is that we have forgotten our customs.
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Wadi Dawan. The next day, we crossed the valleys in Hadhramaut to Wadi Dawan. We are in the city of Alhajrain, above the highlands.
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This is the city of Alhajrain, located at an altitude of 950 metres. The main reason is to avoid floods because we are located in a valley.
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Its population is about 4000. It was considered a strategic city in the ancient history of Yemen during the era of the Hadhramaut Kingdom and the Himyarite state.
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-Are you the goalkeeper? -Yes. It looks like an island. There are bridges between homes that connect families.
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Look at this place we are in. It is located on top of the mountain like hanging villages.
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You sleep here on top of the mountain in wonderful mud houses on the edge.
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These are all valleys. Our journey continues after we finished Wadi Dawan. We will sleep here and then go to the capital of Hadhramaut.
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It's on the edge, right? Yes, it's on top of the mountain. Look at the mountain.
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A tour of my room in Yemen. You must see the hospitality here in Yemen, it's amazing.
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They say that Sanaa is the most beautiful city in Yemen, but we are not finished yet, there are more episodes.
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We are still in Hadhramaut in the south. Wait to see the view from there.
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This is the view from here. I think this is the highest swimming pool in Yemen.
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You won't even see this view in Arizona. We will sleep here tonight on the top of the mountain.
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This is our view for today. Then we headed to Mukalla, the capital of Hadhramaut and its gateway to the world.
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This is the river that divides the city. We wandered through its old and modern streets and tried its most famous foods, and the first food was street food, Krash.
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They are selling something called Krash. Krash -It gives you Energy? -Yes, energy. This is the best street food.
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-I'm addicted to Krash. -Addicted! Yes. They say that the city of Mukalla is the third most important city in Yemen after Sanaa and Aden.
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The people here are very welcoming and treat guests as if they were locals. This is the famous coastal city and this is one of their most famous dishes. See this?
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Krash is a dish made of fish entrails. You will see it everywhere. Peace be upon you.
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It's our traditional meal. It's their traditional meal. Look at these crowds. Look at this marinade.
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This is special for Krash. Special for Krash. There is a specific time to eat it, from 9 a.m. until 2 p.m., and you will not find anyone eating it after that.
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Some call it caviar. It's like caviar to them. Try the liver and spawns, they've already prepared it for you, that's the liver.
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Fish liver. In the name of Allah. Salty fish. Does it provide you with energy and protein?
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Yes, it is rich in protein and the liver is good for eyesight. It tastes great, similar to the taste of lamb liver.
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Yes, but this is with the special seasoning. The name “Krash” comes from fish guts.
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This is shark liver. You will now see the difference in quality. -There's a difference in quality, right? -Yes.
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The spices taste great. It's like you're eating caviar, but it's Yemeni caviar. Look at the sea, it is red.
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You have defeated Japan. These foods, such as krash and Sayadiya, are considered among the most famous foods in Mukalla.
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Look at this. They depend entirely on sea food. Look at the size of this fish, it's huge!
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They love seafood in Mukalla. Look at this, you are not in Siberia or Greenland, you are in Yemen.
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You should go and see the Lakhm, which is dried fish. They eat dried shark and they call Lakhm.
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Hello. How are you? We will take a sea tour and see where they catch the fish that you saw in the fish market.
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Captain Raed will take us on a tour. Let's go. Look at that. It's so similar to Mauritania.
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The sea here is rich. We will now try the fish in the fish market.
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First, I want to introduce to you Abeer from the Cultural Office. Yes, the General Director of the Cultural Office in Hadhramaut.
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Yemen is culturally diverse from north to south, the atmosphere is different and the dialects are different.
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It's a major tourist destination. But the current war and the economic situation, as you know, have reduced the presence of tourists.
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But Socotra Island is full of tourists at certain periods of the year. Okay okay.
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They have one of the most beautiful islands in the world. It's close to here and we should visit it.
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On the second day, we went to have a popular breakfast in the city. Good morning.
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Peace be upon you. We came here for breakfast at 7 a.m. What do the people of Mukalla eat for breakfast?
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This is called Albakhmari. It is a dough that is fried in oil. People gather here every morning along this street to eat Albakhmari.
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It's to them what falafel is to us in our country. It's fried dough. This is Albakhmari.
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I would like milk tea with it. Milk tea with Albakhmari? -It's a must, right? -Yes.
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So good. It's really delicious. They say you should drink milk tea with it. People are gathered around this drink, so let's see is what the secret.
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This is our famous coffee, its name is Tangawesi which is a Swahili word, from Tanzania.
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-From Tanzania and Kenya? -Yes, Tanzania and Kenya. Here they drink coffee called... Its name is Tangawesi.
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Tangawesi is a Swahili word, came from Kenya -when Yemen was connected to the world. -Exactly.
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From this land, the land of Hadhramaut, the land of Yemen, the Hadhramis spread throughout the earth, carrying with them the message and morals of Islam in their dealings and trade.
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They had the greatest impact in every place they went. Because of them, millions of people in many countries converted to Islam, and they were the reason for the establishment of major international banks and companies that affected the economies of those countries.
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They occupied prominent scientific, religious and political positions in many countries of the world and still do.
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The ingredients are almonds, sesame, ginger and red sugar. These people are here to drink Tangawesi.
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Tangawesi is good? This is Hadhrami Tangawesi coffee. In the name of Allah. It tastes like a mixture of tea and coffee.
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Tangawesi. We want our country to progress for the better. God willing. There is hope, there is a new generation.
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Yemen is oppressed, right? In the media, the war also has a role, as you know.
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Do you think there is hope? I see hope. Okay, okay. Here is the hope.
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I see great hope. We left the city of Mukalla to a city called Ash Shihr, which is the home of this dance that you will see now and which they perform at weddings to celebrate the groom.
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Like this, look! The Iddah dance, which is a military dance at the same time.
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I got a wedding in Yemen! Is this a wedding celebration for me? You will celebrate for me again?
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Let's go, one more time. It's considered a military dance, in which the Dargah and stick are used.
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The people of Ash Shihr were able, with their strength and determination, to defeat the Portuguese invasion.
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The people of Yemen are mostly young, with youth comprising more than 70%. They aspire to peace and progress after long years of marginalization, conflict and wars, in which wounds and pain have deepened.
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They invite you everywhere you go. Despite all this, young people are still thirsty for work, prove themselves...
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Welcome to Yemen. ...and introducing the world to the other, bright side of Yemen. Will Yemeni wisdom win and culminate in reconciliation for the sake of Yemen and the people of Yemen?
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See you in part II from North Yemen. Don't forget to subscribe to the channel and like the video!
Topics:YemenHadhramautSidr honeyMandiShibammud skyscrapersYemeni culturetraditional foodWadi DawanYemeni history
