Exploring A Bombed/Robbed/Shot House In Aden, Yemen
- Konrad Tillman
- Jun 11
- 3 min read
Intro
In case you haven't gathered, I am not your typical Emirates/Singapore First Class flight reviewer. While I might document those flights, what I love even more is showcasing sides of the world that people rarely see, and humanizing it.
Well, during my time in Aden, Yemen, my guide's brother showed me their family's old beachouse, which was bombed, shot at, and then eventually robbed. To say I was speechless would be an understatement: I was blown out of the water.
Pictures Do Not Do This Justice
Yemen was once a beautiful country. But I guess beautiful is a subjective term, right, and allow me to explain a little bit of Yemen's history in this post.
Back in the 1800s, the British took control of Aden, and actually used Aden as a base for their operations both trade-wise and slave wise (horrible, I know).
During this time, South Yemen was a somewhat thriving place. It was in an economically good place, people from all religions were there, and it got to the point where they even had nightclubs. Yes, nightclubs!
Well, come 1967 when the British picked up shop and quite frankly "f*cked off", they didn't leave it in the best of states
Since then, Yemen hasn't really found a lot of peace. The Houthis moved in to attempt to unite the nation in 2015, but eventually the Saudi/UAE showed up
Now the Saudi/UAE are in control of the South, but no Yemeni likes the government. They have blocked the port access mostly, due to Saudi being so close, and it's more the mentality of "control" versus "prosperity" (from what someone told me on the ground in Aden).
So this brings me to this house, and why it is so significant.
Back before the Civil War, my guide informed me that he and his family used to come every weekend to this beach house and play as kids. It was a peaceful time, and they would share tea, meals, and go swimming in the ocean. It was a beautiful story to hear, and one that kind of melted my heart. From smoking shisha, to this...
My guide's brother (who I will not name), gave me a tour of the house. As we went upstairs, he turned to me and said, "I remember coming back for the first time and seeing broken glass on the floor and a bullet hole. I will never forget it".
I mean, as (scrap tourist) a human, how are you supposed to respond to that? Sorry ain't gonna cut it...
Anyways, here are some more pictures from the attack on Aden from Saudi Arabia. To think that they are currently running the government partially while this occurred; it is wild to me. I love the people of Yemen so much, so it sucks when they reach out to me and say stuff like "Yemen will never improve with the current government"
I don't know everything after 4 days in Yemen, I am just the middleman here...
To make matters worse, after the Saudis/UAE seized control of Aden, this is where life truly came into motion. With the country falling into shambles economically, people had to make a living somehow. In came the looters who would go to abandoned houses like these (the rich houses) and take every single item out of them.
Down to the letter. They would take the wall sockets, the banisters, the glass. Heck, they would even dig up the electrical wires outside to sell off. And you know what? I hold zero judgment. How could I? Here I am, a little western tourist who has never had to face this kind of hardship, and to be honest, if I were in the same situation, I would probably do the same.
This is a country stricken by international intervention, but what few outside of Yemen realize. Heartwrenching.
Final Thoughts
During my visit to Aden, my guide's brother gave me an opportunity to visit his old beachouse in Aden. A place where they used to reconvene every weekend, go swimming in the ocean, eat good food, and be a family. All that to say, that is all gone now.
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