Wadi Dhahr
I waited outside school at 0815 for Eelco, Jamila and Maude. We were going to the icon of Yemen’s tourism industry … Wadi Dhahr and the Dar Al Hajar palace on the edge of the city. It has taken me two weeks to finally get there. I had simply been too busy with bigger trips on weekends and didn’t want to go on a school day.
We walked beyond Medan Tahrir, near the tower, and found a taxi to Wadi Dhahr. The price was YER3000 but we got it down to YER1000.
We were able to stop for a view of the wadi before arriving at the palace area. I also had some photos taken of a falcon on my shoulder.
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- View of the Wadi.
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- View of the Wadi.
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- With Jamila and Maude.
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- Falcon on my shoulder. Photo by Eelco Boomsma.
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- Taxi!
Inside Dar Al Hajar, the stairs went up, up and up. Some rooms were quite beautiful.
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- Dar Al Hajar.
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- Dar Al Hajar from a less common angle.
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- Dar Al Hajar from a less common angle.
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- Window inside Dar Al Hajar.
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- View of the surrounding area from Dar Al Hajar.
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- View of the surrounding area from Dar Al Hajar.
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- People shots at Dar Al Hajar. Photo by Eelco Boomsma.
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- People shots from Dar Al Hajar. Photo by Eelco Boomsma.
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- People shots from Dar Al Hajar. Photo by Eelco Boomsma.
But the highlight of my stay in the area was the bara’a dance with the janbiya (dagger). Children as young as two years old dancing with the dagger. I couldn’t help wanting to photograph this as it seems like such a taboo. But this is Yemen, and it is perfectly permissible.
And there’s nowhere better to see the bara’a than at Wadi Dhahr where men celebrate weddings (the women celebrate elsewhere privately). There were so many toddlers doing their first moves with waving that dagger. Pround dads (and some mums) all around.
Two drums, one skin and another metallic, were used to generate the rhythm for the dancers.
At Wadi Dhahr, I was perplexed that locals had to be frisked before entry … they were obviously wearing their dagger. I asked in my broken Arabic if they were looking for a second dagger … no, they were looking for guns. Not allowed to fire guns into the air to celebrate weddings at Wadi Dhahr.
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- Two drums, one skin and another metallic, were used to generate the rhythm for the dancers.
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- Toddler doing his first Bara’a.
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- Toddler doing his first Bara’a.
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- Toddler doing his first Bara’a. Photo by Eelco Boomsma.
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- Doing the Bara’a.
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- Doing the Bara’a.
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- Doing the Bara’a.
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- Doing the Bara’a.
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- Doing the Bara’a. Photo by Eelco Boomsma.
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- Doing the Bara’a.
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- Doing the Bara’a.
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- Doing the Bara’a.
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- Doing the Bara’a. Photo by Eelco Boomsma.
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- Doing the Bara’a.
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- Doing the Bara’a.
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- Doing the Bara’a.
On the subject of guns, I’ve tried organising a group trip to the gun souq (market) but this appears off limits to foreigners. Maybe we can dress up in abayah, but what if women are not permitted to enter?
Back in Sana’a
We had to wait till after Friday midday prayers before we could find a taxi back to the city. We ate lunch together at the Dubai Restaurant which specialised in fish. Jamila and Maude, both whom I have met only today, are good company.
We went our separate ways after lunch only to be reunited with them in the afternoon when Jamila returned with pastries to share.
Fish and bread for lunch with Jamila, Eelco and Maude.