"Aden" Aden Municipality by janiebaxter

Aden Municipality Travel Guide: 24 reviews and 77 photos

British clock behind rundown buildings - Aden Municipality

A British Legacy

Most of Aden’s recent history is colonial, unlike the rest of Yemen. Aden was the main capital of the “South” of Yemen during the British period and still has some very British sights left including the graveyard, old clock and some post boxes.
It was extremely important after the Suez canal was built, and after oil was discovered it became the 3rd most important port in the world after London and New York in the 1950’s.
Aden went into decline in 1967 when the British left and the Suez canal was closed.
The unification of Yemen in 1990 led to investment in the Port of Aden to revive it.

I found Aden a disappointment as I expected more visible signs of its history and more character to the place. It is very run down and only deserves a one night stay - hotels are awful too!

Older History

Al Aydrus mosque

Aden has been an important port since Sabaean times. During the 10th to 13th centuries Aden was a main trading port with a large population, particularly during the prosperous reign of Queen Arwa in the 11th century. The Ottomans controlled it until the British arrived in 1839. There were no signs of Aden's older history except the Al Aydrus mosque, which is modern compared to the rest of Yemen!

Pros and Cons

Pros:None!
Cons:Hostile people, awful hotels, scruffy, not much to see
In a nutshell:Easy to miss out if you're short of time

Last visit to Aden Municipality: Nov 2007
Intro Updated Mar 12, 2008
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Reviews (6)

Aden Tanks - Finally a bit of ancient... Things to Do (5)

Built in the first century AD to collect and manage the supply of water, the 18 tanks or cisterns are cut out of the... more travel advice

Al Aydrus Mosque Things to Do (5)

The Al Aydrus mosque was built in the 19th century in honour of Allemmm Abu baker Abdulla Al Aidroos who built the... more travel advice

See Queen Victoria Things to Do (5)

A statue of Queen Victoria sits in the middle of a rundown park area in the middle of the city. It was put away for a... more travel advice

British Graveyard Things to Do (5)

The British Graveyard contains the graves of British and Commonwealth soldiers killed in the war. more travel advice

Hotels (1)
Not that Good

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Comments (2)

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fabrice Jan 27, 2009 at 12:47 AM

a little scary
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hunterV Mar 16, 2008 at 12:42 PM

Hello, Jane! Congrats on your fine travels over there... Take care! Thanks for your pages!