Aden

Aden is built around and inside the crater of an extinct volcano on a peninsula that makes one of the best natural harbours anywhere, which is why it has been a port for two thousand years and why the British took it in 1839 and ran it as a coaling station on the route to India. The old quarter, Crater, sits inside the volcanic bowl with the rim rising around it, and the harbour spreads west.

Background

Aden stands on the northern shore of the Gulf of Aden, close to the eastern entrance of the Red Sea, with the Strait of Bab al-Mandab approximately 170 km to the west. Its founding is dated to the 7th century BC. The city is the capital of Aden Governorate, which has eight districts, and its population was estimated at 1,194,160 in 2026. Crater was the original port and Ma'alla the modern one, while Tawahi was once known as Steamer Point. Khormaksar, on the isthmus to the mainland, holds the airport and the main offices of Aden University. Sheikh Othman grew from an old oasis. Little Aden, the western harbour peninsula, was developed for an oil refinery and tanker port.

Source: Wikipedia, "Aden"

What to look for

• The Crater quarter - the old town inside the volcanic bowl.
• The natural harbour - the anchorage the city's whole history rests on.
• The volcanic rim - the ridge enclosing the old quarter.
• The colonial fabric - the buildings from the coaling station period.

When to go

November to March is the cool season. Summer in Aden is extremely hot and humid. Rain is rare in any month.

Good to know

Much of the city's historic fabric is in poor repair. Facilities for visitors are very limited. Access to mainland Yemen requires arrangements made well in advance.

Nearby

The Cisterns of Tawila are in Crater, and Bir Ali is east.

Key facts