Al Hudaydah
Encyclopedia
Al Hudaydah is the fourth largest city in Yemen
with a population of 400,000 people, and the centre of Al Hudaydah Governorate
.
, it is an important port, exporting coffee, cotton, dates, and hides. It was developed as a seaport in the mid-19th century by the Ottoman Turks
.
In 1914 during the First World War German troops led by Major Freiherr
Othmar von Stotzingen established a wireless station at Al Hudaydah which was used during the Arab Revolt
to relay communications from Constantinople
to German East Africa
as well as broadcast propaganda
to the Sudan
, Somaliland
and Abyssinia
.
The city was briefly occupied by Saudi forces during the Saudi–Yemeni War of 1934.
After a disastrous fire in January 1961 destroyed much of the city, it was rebuilt, particularly the port facilities, with Soviet
aid. A highway to Sana
, the capital, was completed in 1961. Hudaydah was the site of a Soviet naval base in the 1970s and 1980s.
The city has a large number of historical places, particularly in Zabid
, which is regarded as one of the most important Islam
ic towns in the world . The city is not large but it has more than 100 old mosques. Furthermore, the city used to have an old university which is as old as al-Azhar.
The Malay writer Abdullah bin Abdul Kadir
visited Al Hudaydah on his pilgrimage to Mecca
in 1854, and describes the city in his account of the journey, mentioning that the custom of chewing khat
was prevalent in the city at this time.
Yemen
The Republic of Yemen , commonly known as Yemen , is a country located in the Middle East, occupying the southwestern to southern end of the Arabian Peninsula. It is bordered by Saudi Arabia to the north, the Red Sea to the west, and Oman to the east....
with a population of 400,000 people, and the centre of Al Hudaydah Governorate
Al Hudaydah Governorate
Al Hudaydah is a governorate of Yemen. Its capital is Al Hudaydah.This governorate borders the Red Sea and is part of the narrow Tihamah region...
.
Overview
Situated on the Red SeaRed Sea
The Red Sea is a seawater inlet of the Indian Ocean, lying between Africa and Asia. The connection to the ocean is in the south through the Bab el Mandeb strait and the Gulf of Aden. In the north, there is the Sinai Peninsula, the Gulf of Aqaba, and the Gulf of Suez...
, it is an important port, exporting coffee, cotton, dates, and hides. It was developed as a seaport in the mid-19th century by the Ottoman Turks
Ottoman Empire
The Ottoman EmpireIt was usually referred to as the "Ottoman Empire", the "Turkish Empire", the "Ottoman Caliphate" or more commonly "Turkey" by its contemporaries...
.
In 1914 during the First World War German troops led by Major Freiherr
Freiherr
The German titles Freiherr and Freifrau and Freiin are titles of nobility, used preceding a person's given name or, after 1919, before the surname...
Othmar von Stotzingen established a wireless station at Al Hudaydah which was used during the Arab Revolt
Arab Revolt
The Arab Revolt was initiated by the Sherif Hussein bin Ali with the aim of securing independence from the ruling Ottoman Turks and creating a single unified Arab state spanning from Aleppo in Syria to Aden in Yemen.- Background :...
to relay communications from Constantinople
Istanbul
Istanbul , historically known as Byzantium and Constantinople , is the largest city of Turkey. Istanbul metropolitan province had 13.26 million people living in it as of December, 2010, which is 18% of Turkey's population and the 3rd largest metropolitan area in Europe after London and...
to German East Africa
German East Africa
German East Africa was a German colony in East Africa, which included what are now :Burundi, :Rwanda and Tanganyika . Its area was , nearly three times the size of Germany today....
as well as broadcast propaganda
Propaganda
Propaganda is a form of communication that is aimed at influencing the attitude of a community toward some cause or position so as to benefit oneself or one's group....
to the Sudan
Sudan
Sudan , officially the Republic of the Sudan , is a country in North Africa, sometimes considered part of the Middle East politically. It is bordered by Egypt to the north, the Red Sea to the northeast, Eritrea and Ethiopia to the east, South Sudan to the south, the Central African Republic to the...
, Somaliland
Somaliland
Somaliland is an unrecognised self-declared sovereign state that is internationally recognised as an autonomous region of Somalia. The government of Somaliland regards itself as the successor state to the British Somaliland protectorate, which was independent for a few days in 1960 as the State of...
and Abyssinia
Ethiopia
Ethiopia , officially known as the Federal Democratic Republic of Ethiopia, is a country located in the Horn of Africa. It is the second-most populous nation in Africa, with over 82 million inhabitants, and the tenth-largest by area, occupying 1,100,000 km2...
.
The city was briefly occupied by Saudi forces during the Saudi–Yemeni War of 1934.
After a disastrous fire in January 1961 destroyed much of the city, it was rebuilt, particularly the port facilities, with Soviet
Soviet Union
The Soviet Union , officially the Union of Soviet Socialist Republics , was a constitutionally socialist state that existed in Eurasia between 1922 and 1991....
aid. A highway to Sana
Sana
-Geography:* Sana'a, the capital of Yemen* Sana, Haute-Garonne, France, a commune in the Haute-Garonne département* Sana, Bhutan, a town in Bhutan* Sana, Greece, a village in the northern part of the prefecture of Chalkidiki...
, the capital, was completed in 1961. Hudaydah was the site of a Soviet naval base in the 1970s and 1980s.
The city has a large number of historical places, particularly in Zabid
Zabid
Zabid is a town with an urban population of around 23,000 persons on Yemen's western coastal plain. The town, named after Wadi Zabid, the wadi to its south, is one of the oldest towns in Yemen...
, which is regarded as one of the most important Islam
Islam
Islam . The most common are and . : Arabic pronunciation varies regionally. The first vowel ranges from ~~. The second vowel ranges from ~~~...
ic towns in the world . The city is not large but it has more than 100 old mosques. Furthermore, the city used to have an old university which is as old as al-Azhar.
The Malay writer Abdullah bin Abdul Kadir
Abdullah bin Abdul Kadir
Abdullah bin Abdul Kadir , also known as Munshi Abdullah, was a Malayan writer of Indian origin. He was a famous Malacca-born Indian munshi of Singapore and died in Jeddah, then part of the Ottoman Empire ....
visited Al Hudaydah on his pilgrimage to Mecca
Mecca
Mecca is a city in the Hijaz and the capital of Makkah province in Saudi Arabia. The city is located inland from Jeddah in a narrow valley at a height of above sea level...
in 1854, and describes the city in his account of the journey, mentioning that the custom of chewing khat
Khat
Khat, qat, gat or Waquish Spoken from true Yemeni, is a flowering plant native to tropical East Africa and the Arabian Peninsula....
was prevalent in the city at this time.