Feature photo by CharlesFred. Photo above by Soqotra (Yemen).
If you’ve ever wanted to learn Arabic, consider jump-starting your linguistic and cultural awakening in the ancient city of San’a, Yemen.
Despite its rap as a hotbed of kidnapping, terrorism, and tribalism, San’a, Yemen is doing for Arabic what Antigua, Guatemala has done for Spanish: making the language affordable and accessible in a stunningly beautiful location (UNESCO has declared the entire old town of San’a a World Heritage Site).
Wandering the labyrinth streets of San’a is like peeking back into the Persian Gulf before oil, before the trappings of modernity. Here the essence of frankincense – piney, medicinal and evocative – drifts between lopsided towers of stone and mud brick.
Stacked on top of each other six to eight stories high, the towers drape the narrow alleyways in shadow. Yemeni women seem to float by, their eyes encased in head-to-toe black veils.
Photo by alvise forcellini.
Mustachioed men in turbans and long skirts sport curved blades. Smiling broadly, they ask for your name, where you’re from. Little boys and girls stop and stare before chanting, sura, sura, sura! (Photo, photo, photo!). The cacophonous adhan, the Islamic call to prayer, thunders down from the peaks of minarets spiraling skyward.
The sights and sounds of ancient San’a get you all turned around. Don’t worry though, that’s part of the fun. But when the minarets get to whirling like dervishes and you’ve heard the adhan more than once, you’ll know its time to stop one of those guys in a ma’waz (an ankle-length skirt) and jambiya (Yemeni dagger) to lay down that line you’ve been practicing on the plane ride over: Low samahat, eyen madrassa arabia? (Excuse me, where’s the Arabic school?)
They’ll be delighted with your attempt at their language and will more than likely escort you all the way there. If you’re feeling adventurous, accept their invitation to join them after class for a traditional afternoon of chewing qat, a mildly addictive stimulant grown throughout Yemen.
Photo by Dawson-Foremans.
During class, you’ll get the kind of attention that would have made you squirm in your high school French course: intensively individualized instruction. Unlike in Tunisia, Syria, and Egypt (where as many foreigners as possible are packed into a class), classes in Yemen max-out at six students per teacher.
Before you book your flight, here’s a couple of places that’ll get you headed straight into the heart of Arabia.
Center for Arabic Language & Eastern Studies
Phone: 967-1-292-090; Fax 960-281-700; Az-Zumar St.; www.ynet.ye/cales.
Part of the University of San’a, the school offers monthly intensive courses for US $390 for three to six students (80 hours: four hours per day, five days a week).
San’a Institute for Arabic Language
Phone: 967-1-284-330; Fax: 967-1-284-329, As-Saliah St.; www.sialyemen.com/ An intensive three week course (60 hours) costs US$ 300. A six week (120 hours) course goes for $570; a nine week (180 hours) course will set you back $1,215 and a full year (720 hours) is just $3,240. Arabic for Specific Purposes (ASP) is also available.
Yemen Language Center & Yemen Center for Arab Studies
Phone: 967-1 -270-200; Fax: 967-1-270-127; 26th of September St.; www.ylcint.com. An all inclusive five weeks in Yemen (airfare, Arabic instruction, accommodation, two meals a day, organized excursions and high speed Internet) will cost you $2,960.
Community Connection
For more on travel in this under-visited region, check out 6 Under-the-Radar Destinations in the Middle East, 7 Reasons to Travel to Iran NOW, or Discovering Israel’s City of the Future.
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19 Comments... join the discussion!
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Fascinating description of a city and a language learning opportunity! Studying Arabic is on my list of vague future endeavors, but I hadn't considered Yemen. Is the variant they speak similar to that of the rest of the region?
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I'd love to learn arabic–I'm wondering how women are treated there? Did you study with any women? How did they enjoy it?
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Hey, Hal – According to the language schools I visited, the Yemeni dialect is one of the most widely understood variants in the Gulf region.
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I ran into lots of women who were studying Arabic there – most of them had planned on staying just a short while but ended up staying much longer. A few even got jobs with NGO's after their Arabic was functional.
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Click on the link below to see what they hell I'm talking about in a YouTube video about San'a, Yemen
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Sana'a is an amazing city, all the writer describes and more. That said, a trip to Sana'a isn't the same as a dash of the Orient in Dubai. While living and working there I saw plenty of people arrive with wide eyes only to get back on a plane the next week. The place is different, and therein lies its beauty. Look before you leap, and look well, not only at the destination by at yourself.
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Yemen Institute for the Arabic Language YIAL is the most welcoming institute , I had an amazing 2007 summer there.
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As an Arabic major in college who has self required herself to study abroad this info about the Yemeni program is beautiful news!
Thanks!
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Glad you found this piece helpful, Arielle!
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I rarely do not comment on blogs but yours I had to stop and say Great article!!
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Thanks so much for sharing!
I’ll be receiving my first lessons in Arabic this fall at the University of Iowa. I plan to study abroad next year, my sophmore year. I had decided to opt out of going to Egypt and Morocco as those were two very common destinations. I had met some Jordanians and was very interested in going to Jordan. Perhaps you can shed some light on that.
However, after reading your article and watching, I want to say, Anthony Bourdain’s: No Reservations about Yemen I am really tempted to go there.
Thanks again for sharing!
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Hey, Jared –
Jordan, Syria and Yemen are all fascinating places to learn Arabic. Why not do all three?
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Good point.
However, it would be through my school and I would want to be there for a semester.
I do not see though, why I wouldn’t be able to at least travel to the other places, let alone go there later on.Thanks for the interesting point.
Cheers,
Jared↵ -
Yemen is truly a jewel to learn Arabic , they shower you with hospitably and they are down to earth people, I like to think of them as a nation of hippies , cause after 2pm almost everyone is on the 9th cloud .
oh for those who are looking for a great site to translate their Arabic, check this one out.
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I’ve been thinking about studying arabic in yemen n wanted to have some ideas about the costs and i found out that yr site is very helpful. thnks for sharing.
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Awesome! Glad you found it helpful, nor azman merican. Good luck with your studies of Arabic and let me know how it goes!
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Persia is has a great tradition of ancient age.It’s a nice hobby to know the people and culture of another country.Jackson gives a great explanation about Arabic literature and culture.So,ll be delighted with your attempt at their language and will more than likely escort you all the way there.
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