Advertisement Close

Yemeni Culture

Stepping into Yemen: The Met Museum Celebrating the Rich Cultural Heritage of Yemen and the Repatriation of their Art

On Sunday April 21st, the MET museum event “A Celebration of the Arts and Culture of Yemen” featured traditional Yemeni dance, music, Yemeni coffee, as well as hands on activities that celebrated Yemen’s cultural heritage from way of dress to their architectural uniqueness. New Yorkers got an inside look on the rich and vibrant culture of this country while also meeting members of the Yemeni diaspora. The event not only celebrated Yemen’s cultural heritage but it also commemorated the recent “repatriation of artifacts now on temporary loan to the Met from the Republic of Yemen.” The event highlighted the uniqueness of Yemeni culture such as the qamariya, which is a historical and archaic window, the Jambiya, which is a traditional sword, as well as the traditional silver jewelry of tribal and Bedouin women in Yemen.

The Architecture of the Diwan, A Traditional Yemeni Living Room

By: Menal Elmaliki / Arab America Contributing Writer Sana’a must be seen, however long the journey,though the hardy camel droop, leg-worn on the way -Traditional Yemeni Poem Sanaa, the capital city of Yemen is a balance between old and new. The attempts of preserving old Sanaa’s architecture while also making it livable was successful, the … Continued

Yemen’s Famous Sword: The Jambiya

By: Menal Elmaliki / Arab America Contributing Writer In the capital city of Sanaa, Yemen, men saunter around the square dressed head to toe in traditional fashion and garb. Traditional garb is composed of mashada, lungi, and jambiya.  It is usually worn on special occasions but many Yemeni men prefer to wear it daily. The … Continued

Adeni Chai Recipe: A Yemeni Classic

Aden is located on the south of Yemen; it is a major port known for its natural harbor, trade routes as well as its tea. Adeni Tea or Adeni chai is a staple in Yemeni cuisine and is made for breakfast or after dinner for guests and is served with Yemeni desserts. Spice up your plain black tea with this simple recipe. Arab America contributing writer, Menal Elmaliki, shares a secret family recipe that has been passed down generations. Adeni chai is fragrant and delicious, it is made with just a few base ingredients, black loose tea, evaporated milk, cardamon, cloves, sugar, and cinnamon.

How to make Bint al-Sahn: A Romantic Yemeni Dish

Contributing Arab America writer and editor, Menal Elmaliki shows us how to make this popular Yemeni dish/ dessert. This romanticized dessert is called “Bint al-Sahn,” بنت الصحن, translated to ‘daughter of the plate,’ and is symbolic of Yemeni women. It is described as a layered bread dish or honey cake. It is a Yemeni sweet prepared with flour, eggs, yeast, samn (clarified butter), and habbat sowda or black cumin/ nigella seeds. It is the Yemeni version of a croissant, as each layer is covered with butter, and its outcome is a rich and flaky dessert. It is best eaten warm, with honey and served with tea.

Yassin Ghaleb: The Yemeni Artist Who Turned Rubbish into Art

Yassin Ghaleb is a Yemeni artist and an architect of extraordinary talent. His art is somewhat of a balance between surrealism and minimalism. His house located in Sanaa’ Yemen serves as a museum showcasing the artwork of him and his family.  Increased poverty and a lack of a central government have plagued Yemen with rubbish. Arab America contributing writer, Menal Maliki, says despite the raging civil war, he finds means of escapism through his art. 

The Yemeni Cooking Pot

Some call it rustic, others exotic but for Yemenis, soapstone cookware is the sine qua non. This soapstone cookware is called harada, madra or rizah and they are the lifeblood of Yemeni cuisine. It is a thick-walled stone pot that you will find in every Yemeni household. This unusual pot is as famous as the food it is cooked in. It is used to make saltah, fahsa, fatah (susi), shakshouka, and foul. Intern writer, Menal Elmaliki, details the importance of soapstone cookware in Yemeni culture.

8 Results (Page 1 of 1)