Bayt al-Faqih

Bayt al -Faqih (also: Beit el Fakih or Bayt al - Faqiyah; Arabic بيت الفقيه, DMG Baitu l -Faqih ) is a town in Yemen's west, 50 km south-east of the port and regional capital of al - Hudaydah and 130 km southwest of the capital Sanaa. It lies on the edge of the mountain Tihama.

In addition to a - now largely derelict - Ottoman Fort ( Qasr al - Imam Citadel ) has the town houses which are provided with the typical stucco facades. Once the city had the largest trade center for coffee to its securing the fort was needed. The village lies along the pilgrimage and trade route from al Hudaydah to Taiz, across the hot Tihama. With daytime temperatures up to 53 ° C, it is one of the hottest world. Even before Zabid Bayt al -Faqih is the largest city in the Tihama. Even today, the weekly market is next to the market of at- Tahl a maximum in Yemen.

History

Bayt al -Faqih was in the early 13th century by the scholar ( faqih ) Ahmed ibn Musa al - Udschail founded. Since these scholars as a saint was worshiped at the site, the city was named House of scholars in whose memory. He is buried in the city. Since the 16th century already, the city is well connected infrastruktuerell. For indexing attended several trade and pilgrimage routes. In addition, Bayt al -Faqih is centrally located in the Tihama, which is why the city quickly swung into an important trading center of internal trade. Marktgut most important was the coffee. The German explorer and cartographer Carsten Niebuhr in 1763 should have during a nearly two-month visit to the city, found that spending spree in the coffee market, merchants from Europe, Persia and India.

Today, the city is a colorful and large regional Friday weekly market. Traded goats, vegetables, basketware, perfume oils, household goods and pet food. Famous and exceptional quality are the hand-woven shoulder and Wraps ( futah ), and cordage (especially brim hats ).

Tribalism

Even today the tribalism in Yemen is very pronounced. The vast majority of Yemenis belong to tribes. This makes people feel each strongly committed. The tribal men ( Qa'bili; . Qaba'il pl ) to control, political power and represent for the younger generations a mission statement. In the 1920s prevailed in the region around the city of the mighty tribe of al- Shaykh al - Zaraniq under the Qabīla, Ahmad al - Fatimid.