Aden
Aden is an interesting town in Yemen. The first association that comes to mind at the mention of this city is the Gulf of Aden. It is located right here in the east coast of Yemen, along the Arabian Sea and Red Sea. Aden is one of the main ports of the country. The town is situated on the crater of an extinct volcano, which over time transformed into a peninsula. Since ancient ages Aden port is important because of its strategic geographical location. As such, the city functioned for the Awsa Kingdom, which has existed between 5 and 7th century BC.
Aden extends to the east side of this great natural harbor. The city is surrounded by Little Aden, which is a volcanic peninsula surrounding the western and eastern port. The Little Aden is developing oil refinery, having a major port for tankers. Oil industry near the Gulf of Aden was established and operated by BP (British Petroleum). In 1977, ownership and control of the oil base is returned into the hands of the government of Yemen.
Aden is formed as a settlement millennia back in time. Local legends tell Aden is as old as human civilization itself. According to some, even the sons of Adam and Eve - Cain and Abel are buried somewhere here. In the course of history Aden has always been desirable for many controlled kingdoms and empires. Because of its important position as a stop on the route between Europe and India, during the Middle Ages Aden had built strong fortifications and high watchtowers.
Before British rule, Aden is occupied by the Portuguese, between 1513-1538, and again in 1547-1548. Aden was under the Ottoman Empire between 1538-1547, and 1548-1645, after the Ottoman rule Aden is under the direct control of the Sultan of LaHaye, who was overlord of the imams of Yemen. In 1838, the Sultan yielded nearly 200 kilometers away from this area (including Aden ), to the British. The port of Aden is located at equal distances from the Suez Canal, Mumbai and Zanzibar, which were important British possessions.
Today, Aden has several major urban areas. The central crater- named Crater Tawahi, the old port area, the new port (Ma'alla) and the neighborhood Tawahi, which in colonial times was known as the boat section. Aden has several resorts, one of which is Gold Mohur. The crater name comes precisely from the fact that here was once the crater of an extinct volcano. Traces of it are visible today, as they have frozen lava in vibrant, whimsical forms. Today the area of the crater is a place in Aden, where there are many restaurants and hotels.
In the 50s and 60s of last century Aden was like today’s Dubai. In the mid-20th century Aden flourished as one of the largest ports. Furthermore, here was the fourth largest duty free zone, which has attracted people from around the world who come to the market. In Aden there are Russian and British zones. Generally in this Arab city poverty is quite high, but in the Russian part of Aden, it is less tangible. In general, Russia's neighborhood consists of a wide boulevard, around which string panel blocks. The British part is pretty rundown, mostly because of total lack of Britons for a long time.
