Islamic landmarks of Aden between the seventh and tenth centuries AH

Abstract

This research through a light on old religious and educational institutions such as mosques, schools, leagues, and others in Aden, and their role in the cultural and social life in the  specified period. 

*Quoting  specimens of these old mosques,  schools and Islamic leagues.

*Highlighting the role of these religious and educational institutions in the graduation of  high level  scientific cadres  and their role in the cultural and social life etc.

*Development of intellectual, cultural and scientific  movement in these schools   and   their reaction in the society .

*Appearance of efficient judges and scholars in these schools  who wrote scientific books which enriched the Yemeni library at that time, and formed    a part of the educational curricula.

*These graduates , including  judges and jurists, in view of their high characters and high level sincerity, education and fear of conscience, participated in taking up administrative and financial responsibilities  in Aden and other places.

*These institutions were interested in traditional and intellectual sciences in particular, like astronomy, algebra, request, comparison  and music. They became specialized colleges.

*Close ethnical correlation among all  religious and  educational institutions in the whole Yemeni homeland.

*Influences of Aden school  on Hadhrmaaut school, as an example.

*The juristic books which were compiled by jurists of these schools to deal with subjects with particular significance, for example “  Appendix  on classes of Alshafiyah for Al asnawi, by the scholar Abdulla Ben Ahmed Bamakhramah, which dealt with subjects related to  Portugese  piracy in the southern coasts, particularly Aden and Hadhramaut. 

*In this period Aden had become  a scientific center. It did not engage only in trade, but also in culture and education.

* A large number of scholars came from   inside and  outside to study in its schools , and to  settle, and  trade in its markets. Aden had become at that time a prosperous trading  market and trading port which received ships from all parts of the world.

*Regulations were applied and complied with by judges, jurists, scholars, teachers,  and regulation and law breakers were  brought to account, and seized, jailed and tortured.

*The graduates of these institutions  participated in social life. For example they took up responsibility for tax trusts, ports, and repelled invaders and all forms of corrupts.         .    

Objectives of the Research:

1-Identify Aden  religious and educational landmarks such as  mosques, schools, leagues, corners,  and khanqats and others if any.

2-To refer to the sources exclusively  for finding out the history of ancient religious and educational institutions which  still keep their  old names, such as Aden Jama, Aaban, Al aidroos, Alyaqootiah etc.

3- To refer to comparisons, conclusions, and locations on which  these institutions were constructed with the purpose of reaching proportional facts  about their historical  locations.

4-To keep whatever remain of these institutions  despite various constructions and amendments made to them.

5- To find out the impacts  of these  institutions on the cultural and social life in Aden. 6- To carry out excavations to find out these locations and search for their roots in the Yemeni soil.

Approach of the Research:

• We relied on the historical approach in the study  of the old and wiped out accomplishments.
• Analyzed the historical sources which are within our access and subject them, as possibly as we can , to examination, investigation and tes.
• Studied biographies of scholars , particularly those who visited Aden in order to know more about the news of these religious and educational institutions  .  
• Familiarize ourselves, as much as possible, with  reports of early scholars, researchers, travelers, archeologists who visited the landmarks and historical sites of Aden
• To know about the preliminary sources of the antiquities, historical sites, and visit the places of these historical sites, and look intently at the photographs and drawings which had been taken at early time or now, and compare them with the outstanding antiquities, and witnesses who watched  some of these civilizations in the middle of the last century.
• Hold comparison between them and other antiquities in other regions , or know the reasons for their disappearance here while their identical survived in other locations of the Yemeni homeland. For example by looking at the pattern of building  Alyaqootiah in Heis, gives us a comprehensive  idea  about the type of  building Aden Yaqootiah, and similarly Mansooriah Guban.  Most like they are still surviving . There is a  good picture for it in Almansooriah in Aden,  and so on.

Location of the  Research: The research  is limited to religious and educational landmarks and historical sites in ancient Aden city, particularly, the landmarks  and  historical sites which were mentioned in their current names in the sources without references.

Time Borders of the Research:

With the occurrence of some historical turning points which might deviate the study from its historical context in narrow limits, by virtue of  various incidents the time borders of this research stand between the second century until the tenth century Higri, the eighth and the sixteenth century A.D.

We focused on religious and educational institutions which were mentioned in the sources. The list before us today is totally in need of other intensive efforts to be made to  know their origins , roots and names which  were subjected to many and various changes which obliterated totally their old names and constructional  origins.