Mukalla Old Town

The Coastal Capital Of Hadramaut, A Port Of White Houses And Old Merchant Mansions, Al Sultan'S Palace And A Fish Market, With The Hadrami Diaspora'S Links Across The Indian Ocean. Held By Al Qaeda From 2015 To 2016 And Since Recovered. The Usual Port For A Visit To Wadi Hadramaut · Mukalla, Hadramaut

Mukalla is the port city of Hadramaut, strung along a curve of the Gulf of Aden about 480 km east of Aden, with the dry cliffs of the plateau behind. Its old quarter has white and pastel houses, carved wooden balconies and the mansions of merchants who made money in Indonesia, Singapore and East Africa; the Hadrami diaspora still sends wealth home. Al Sultan's palace stands near the waterfront, and the fish market and harbour are the liveliest places at dawn. Al-Qaeda held the city from April 2015 to April 2016 and was driven out by local and coalition forces; the history is part of how people here speak of the past decade. Mukalla is the usual starting point for Wadi Hadramaut, Shibam and Seiyun. Most governments advise against all travel to Yemen. Access, roads and flights are unknown and changing, so read your own government's advice first. It suits only someone already in the region, in a safer future.

Mukalla harbour and old town on the Gulf of Aden, the port city of Hadramaut, about 480 km east of Aden, Mukalla, Hadramaut, Yemen

The old town, the harbour and the corniche are open-air and have no fixed hours; walking the lanes and looking at the white houses from the street is FREE. The fish market is busiest in the early morning and is usually quiet by late morning. Al Sultan's palace and its museum are often CLOSED to visitors, or open only on certain mornings, and times are not known, so confirm locally. Shops and the souq are usually CLOSED on Friday morning and reopen in the late afternoon, and many close in the heat of early afternoon. Private mansions and mosques are CLOSED to non-residents unless invited. Check the day's situation with a local contact before you go out.

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