Cisterns of Tawila

The Tawila cisterns run up a ravine in the volcanic rock above Aden's Crater district, a series of tanks cut and built one above another to catch the runoff from the rare heavy rain and store it for a city that has almost no fresh water of its own. Their date is uncertain and estimates run back well over a thousand years. They were cleared and restored in the 1850s, and gardens have been laid out around them.

Background

The tanks were laid out to gather rain running off the Shamsan massif through Wadi Tawila, store it, and shield the city from periodic floods. They sit southwest of Crater, the oldest district of Aden, and are linked to one another. Of about 53 original tanks, 13 survive after a series of renovations, holding about nineteen million gallons together. The largest are the Coghlan Tank, in the middle of the main site, and the round Playfair Tank at the lowest point, outside it. A favoured theory credits Himyar, a kingdom whose rule over parts of Yemen lasted between 115 B.C. and 525 A.D., with beginning the work. By the Rasulid period (1229-1454 A.D.) the tanks were in poor repair.

Source: Wikipedia, "Cisterns of Tawila"

What to look for

• The stepped tanks - the series of cisterns running one above another up the ravine.
• The catchment system - the design that caught runoff from rare heavy rain.
• The uncertain date - estimates running back well over a thousand years.
• The gardens - the planting laid out around the tanks after the 1850s clearing.

When to go

November to March is the cool season. The tanks are usually dry, which is when the structure is clearest. Summer heat in Crater is severe.

Before you go

The tanks are usually empty, which some find anticlimactic. Interpretation is limited. Access to mainland Yemen requires arrangements made well in advance.

Nearby

Crater is below, and Aden's harbour is west.

Key facts