The Tawila Cisterns, a network of ancient water reservoirs carved into Shamsan mountain, have been included in the Arab Architectural and Urban Heritage list by the Arab League Educational, Cultural, and Scientific Organization (ALECSO).
The move marks a significant milestone for one of Yemen’s oldest cultural landmarks.
ALECSO is a Tunis-based institution of the Arab League concerned with the development and coordination of the activities related to education, culture and sciences in the Arab World. It announced in July the inclusion of Aden's Cisterns in the first batch for the Arab world's architectural and urban heritage list.
Nestled in the heart of Aden, the cisterns reflect centuries-old ingenuity in water management, that used to serve the needs of both the city’s residents and passing ships, according to Haifa Makawi, a Professor of Islamic Archaeology and Civilization at the University Of Aden.
The historic site continues to draw visitors and researchers alike. The network of cisterns, once numbering around 50, are now a total of 18 surviving reservoirs.
"Tawila Cisterns are one of the most important landmarks of Aden City and also of Yemen," added Makawi. "The importance of these cisterns was linked to the importance of providing water to the residents and ships. Its importance was also due to its protection of the city from the floods caused by heavy rains.”
Collectively, the remaining cisterns have a total capacity of around 25 million gallons, according to Makawi.
The recent ALECSO recognition has encouraged cultural pride and raised hopes that the site will gain international attention.
"If we want to get to know the Yemeni people, we must visit the historical landmarks to see how our ancestors were able to conquer the East and West of the earth. They did so only through their greatness, and they built these landmarks with their greatness," said Anis Al-Kharaz a visitor at the cisterns.
German Foreign Minister Johann Wadephul said on Monday that the initial stage of U.S. President Donald Trump’s plan to end the conflict in Gaza must...
Uzbekistan is strengthening international partnerships in the energy sector, signing several new deals with Gulf and U.S. companies to expand its rene...
The International Criminal Court (ICC) on Monday found a militia leader guilty for the first time over atrocities committed in Sudan’s Darfur region...
Protesters once again took to the streets of Madagascar’s cities on Monday, marking a third consecutive week of anti-government demonstrations now c...
Afghanistan’s Minister of Industry and Commerce, Nuruddin Azizi, met with Turkish envoy, Ambassador Cenk Ünal in Kabul on Sunday 5th October to dis...
German Foreign Minister Johann Wadephul said on Monday that the initial stage of U.S. President Donald Trump’s plan to end the conflict in Gaza must be implemented by the beginning of next week at the latest, while acknowledging that other elements of the proposal would take longer to resolve.
Uzbekistan is strengthening international partnerships in the energy sector, signing several new deals with Gulf and U.S. companies to expand its renewable capacity, modernise production, and attract billions in investment.
On the shores of the Red Sea, a bold architectural vision is taking shape. The Jeddah Tower, once called the Kingdom Tower, is set to become the world’s tallest building, a structure that doesn’t just redefine skylines, but reimagines what cities of the future could be.
The International Criminal Court (ICC) on Monday found a militia leader guilty for the first time over atrocities committed in Sudan’s Darfur region more than two decades ago.
Video from the USGS (United States Geological Survey) showed on Friday (19 September) the Kilauea volcano in Hawaii erupting and spewing lava.
At least eight people have died and more than 90 others were injured following a catastrophic gas tanker explosion on a major highway in Mexico City’s Iztapalapa district on Wednesday, authorities confirmed.
At least 69 people have died and almost 150 injured following a powerful 6.9-magnitude earthquake off the coast of Cebu City in the central Visayas region of the Philippines, officials said, making it one of the country’s deadliest disasters this year.
A powerful 7.4-magnitude earthquake struck off Russia’s Kamchatka Peninsula on 13 September with no tsunami threat, coming just weeks after the region endured a devastating 8.8-magnitude quake — the strongest since 1952.
Authorities in California have identified the dismembered body discovered in a Tesla registered to singer D4vd as 15-year-old Celeste Rivas Hernandez, who had been missing from Lake Elsinore since April 2024.
Azerbaijan’s junior figure skater Arina Kalugina has set a new Olympic record in the Quadruple Salchow jump at the Denis Ten Memorial Challenger 2025 in Almaty, Kazakhstan.
Superstar Taylor Swift's latest studio album, 'The Life of a Showgirl,' arrives Friday with a promotional blitz that includes midnight sales at Target stores, a release party at movie theatres around the globe and pop-up experiences in New York and Los Angeles.
Scientist and global activist Jane Goodall, who turned her childhood love of primates into a lifelong quest for protecting the environment, has died at the age of 91, the institute she founded said on Wednesday.
U.S. federal prosecutors urged a judge on Tuesday to sentence Sean "Diddy" Combs to more than 11 years in prison this week following the hip-hop mogul's conviction on prostitution-related charges.
Oscar-winning actress Nicole Kidman and country music star Keith Urban have separated after 19 years of marriage, various news outlets reported on Monday, citing unidentified sources.
You can download the AnewZ application from Play Store and the App Store.
What is your opinion on this topic?
Leave the first comment