Yemen Red Sea Culture & Traditions

Yemen is an Islamic country with its people being mainly Arab, African-Arab, and South Asian. The essence of Islam is the belief that there is only one God, and that it is the duty of the people to believe in and serve Him in the manner that is laid out in the Quran. In Arabic, Islam means submission and a Muslim is one who submits to God's will. Yemeni Muslims are mainly divided between the Shafia Sunni sect and the Zaydi Shiia sect. The official language is Arabic.

Traditions include 'Qat Chews' which are spontaneous afternoon house parties where Yemeni men gather to chew the leaves of the qat plant and have a bit of a gossip. If you want to join in, you'll have to be invited and you should bring your own leaves which you can pick up by the bunch in most markets. Qat is a mild stimulant, chemically unlike any other drug.

Yemeni architecture is very unique. Multi-story tower houses made from stone, brick or mud reach five or six stories high with extended family living on each floor. The bottom floor is for animals, the next floor up is the diwan (a reception room), the upper floors are bedrooms and a kitchen, and the top floor is called the mafraj where the man of the house holds his qat parties.

Alcohol is forbidden in Yemen as it is a strict Islamic country.