Discover Yemen: Top 7 Fascinating and Unique Fun Facts You Never Knew!

1. Dragon's Blood

Dragons may not exist, but their blood sure does, dripping from the branches of a peculiar tree in Yemen: The Socotra dragon tree, exclusive to the Socotra archipelago, oozes a dark red resin dubbed "dragon's blood," utilized medicinally by island dwellers for centuries, but fear not – the tree itself poses no threat, and no humans have reported injuries from falling dragon's blood.
Source => en.wikipedia.org

2. Coffee Bean Dinosaurs

If java was a Jurassic Park, then Yemen is where the dinosaur of coffee beans reside: This small, mountainous country is actually home to some of the rarest and most coveted coffee varieties in the world, despite being one of the smallest coffee producers, Yemen's unique beans have been in high demand for centuries.
Source => helenacoffee.vn

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=> Fun Facts about Saudi-Arabia

3. Golden Yemeni Moms

Forget bling and cash on demand: Yemeni moms come fully stocked with gold! In Yemeni wedding traditions, the groom's mother brings a set of gold jewelry as a gift for the bride, and the groom coughs up a dowry for the bride's father, typically no less than a cool 5,000 dollars.
Source => thebellofliberty.net

4. The Evergreen Khat

In Yemen, the "leaf" is always greener on the other side – just don't count on it for a salad: Khat, a plant with amphetamine-like effects when its leaves are chewed, is deeply rooted in Yemeni culture, even overtaking the cultivation of food crops and draining precious water resources. Yet, despite the potential side effects on the body and environment, this potent shrub remains the life of the party at social events, including separate gender wedding fiestas.
Source => jennifermidberry.com

5. Jambiya Swagger

Who needs a flashy sports car or an ostentatious watch to flaunt their status these days when you can just buckle up a good ol' jambiya? You heard it right, the ultimate symbol of Arabian swagger: Yemeni men continue to sport the traditional jambiya, a type of Arabian dagger that's now more of a ceremonial accessory and status symbol, rather than a utilitarian tool. These curved, double-edged blades are crafted by skilled artisans in Sanaa, using fine steel resistant to corrosion, and often come with unique sheaths, each worn in its own distinctive manner.
Source => penn.museum

6. Escher's Towers

Imagine living in a real-life version of M.C. Escher's "Relativity": Yemen's capital, Sana'a, offers you exactly that with its visually captivating and gravity-defying tower houses! These architectural wonders are no ordinary high-rises: reaching up to nine stories, they were ingeniously designed to maximize limited farmland and provide a bird's-eye view for defense against pesky invaders. Constructed from stone and baked brick, the towers boast intricate exteriors adorned with latticework, jewelry, textiles, and natural motifs. Despite challenges posed by modern urbanization, efforts continue to preserve these historical gems for future generations to enjoy and marvel at.
Source => ag.arizona.edu

7. The Mud Brick Manhattan

If you think the skyscrapers of New York and Chicago are impressive, wait until you see the adobe high-rises of a Yemeni city nicknamed "Manhattan of the Desert": Shibam, in Wadi Hadramaut, boasts 16th-century sun-dried mud brick tower houses up to seven stories tall, showcasing the crowning glory of traditional Hadrami urban architecture in a densely-packed, walled city.
Source => whc.unesco.org