Yemen Culture

The Culture of Yemen

Each society throughout the world has developed its own unique culture within itself. Culture is defined as an integrated pattern of human knowledge, belief, and behavior that is both a result of and integral to the human capacity for learning and transmitting knowledge to succeeding generations (Merriam). Factors such as historical events and geographic location contribute to the development of a culture. Cultures in Middle Eastern countries are diverse full of history and traditions. In this research paper, we will discuss the characteristics that shape the culture make up of the country Yemen.
Yemen is an Arab country that is based on Islamic beliefs. In Yemen, the Muslim population is for the most part evenly divided between Sunni and Shi’a. In southern Yemen, the population is predominantly Sunni to where as the northern part of the country the Shi’a. Within Islam there are different religious beliefs that socially divide Muslim groups. Each religious group follow basic Islamic beliefs however, interpret the historical pass of leadership within the religion differently. This difference has placed strain amongst the two groups for hundreds of centuries (Shi’a vs Sunni).
In ancient times, the area around Yemen was known by the name of Arabia Felix which meant happy or prosperous (Nyrop). The area was well known for the trade of indigenous goods such as spices, silks, precious stones and a variety of goods. The country was divided into tribal communities. During the 7th century, the prophet Mohammad began to preach leading to the majority of the populace to embrace the Islamic faith. Between the 7th and 19th Centuries, control over Yemen bounced back and forth between descendants of the prophet Mohammad and the Ottoman Empire better known as Turkey. During the 18th century, the British became a big influence on the southern part of Yemen. In 1839, the city of Aden was captured by the British and developed into a port that supported