The picturesque town of Assaid is situated on a highland 35 kilometers southeast of Attaq* the capital of Shabwa governorate. It has a population of approximately 15*000* many of them officials* laborers and farmers* and is located at the head of Yashbum Valley* on a hill overlooking two valleys: Marboon on the right and Yaroomeh on the left. Both valleys eventually merge with Arbaheen and Aimanah which join other valleys and flow south downstream towards the Arabian Sea. Assaid is hidden among three mountains* Hid Bin Radhi* Hid Mura'aeh and Hid Al-Burieh. Many old Nabk trees (Christ?s Thorn) make for a magnificent view. In full bloom* Nabk trees fill the air with a subtle aroma and* besides giving the town a calm and wholesome atmosphere* provide excellent nectar for bees to make delicious* excellent quality honey. According to some beekeepers* interest in breeding bees is spreading among the locals because it is looked upon as a profitable business. ?Such business is a good means of earning a living* although we suffer traveling from place to place as well as staying away from our families. Now everybody takes pride in how many beehives he has* because the more hives one has* the more profitable bargains one can make from honey*" says Talib* a local Bedouin. Assaid distinguishes itself by its architectural masterpieces* which are hundreds of years old. A beautiful blend of mud and classical design bear witness to its deep-roots and authenticity. Such buildings are known to be really strong* solid and fairly resistant to local climatic conditions. It is a pity that these buildings* particularly the ones in the heart of town* are deserted and not preserved with care.House owners and authorities concerned with these historical landmarks are to be held accountable for carelessness* and making no effort towards repairs. The buildings face constant threat because of the rainfall they are subjected to* not to mention the damage on the ground as a result of digging the surrounding surface. One cannot help but wonder why the ground hasn?t been paved with stones following the example of other towns in Yemen. It is noteworthy that there were some Jewish families* known as skilful silversmiths* who were inhabitants of Assaid. Many of them dwelled in Al-Gabieh* a village two kilometers from Attaq* the capital of the Sahbwa governorate. However* their major dwelling was in Habban* a small town located on Aden?Mukkalla highway* and which is 40 kilometers northeast of Attaq. Habban was where they had their own houses and cemeteries. Jews settled there for years until 1948* when they were removed under the protection of the British Government in Palestine. Assaid has had a number of names throughout history. It was once called ?The sheikhdom of upper Awaliq and Khalifeh? during the time of the Federation of South Arabia under the power of the British colonizer. Then it was called ?The capital of the centre? shortly after national independence in November 1967. Finally* following the blessed unification of Yemen on 22 May 1990 it was called ?The capital of the province?. In the past* the people of Assaid used to breed livestock and cultivate a broad range of cereals including wheat* corn and sesame. Assaid was noted for its growing of citrus trees* potatoes and onions. However* today farming production is not as great. The reasons for this are mainly drought and shortage of groundwater. The largest part of cultivated lands is entirely irrigated by rainwater all year round* but a small surface area is still irrigated by groundwater as well as rain. The antiquated tunnel of Al-Bawadhen is undeniable proof that this irrigation method has been used for generations. A crooked channel dug horizontally through the limestone hill from the Marboon Valley* the tunnel is 25 meters long and 4 meters high. The exact time it was built is still not known. Some hold that it is two hundred years old* whereas others* namely the elderly* say that there is hardly any credible account of how* who and when it came into existence. Essential services have become a matter of considerable public concern in Assaid. The Gamal Abdul-Nasser hospital* the governmental building and a secondary school all date back to the 1960s* and they have been occasionally repaired and improved on. Over the years* the province has seen vital achievements in the fields of education* health care* communication* agriculture* as well as water and power supply. Following the unification* energetic steps were taken to open five new modern schools -one of which is for girls- and a new well-equipped hospital in the suburb of Al-Masaha. A reliable source in Assaid's local council* has declared that a new building for secondary education would be constructed soon. In addition to a new court building* additional infrastructure was implemented and the 17km asphalt road to Al-Dhal'ah was repaired. A sports? club and football field were opened in Al-Masaha suburb. For agricultural purposes* reservoirs were built in Marboon and Dhumareen.However* it is worthy of remark that although there once used to be a post office in Assaid* it is no longer there with the effect that pensioners have to travel to the main post office in Attaq to get their pension. ?We are too old to go to the governorate?s capital to get our pension and it costs us a lot of money to go to the trouble of collecting it*" an aged pensioner commented* adding a complaint about the town's drainage system. A water supply project has been started up as locally-run project* and continues so far to be treated as an independent charity* depending greatly on donations in cash or in kind for its financing. The construction of another well and tank are planned for the near future. It is worthy of remark that such rewarding activity continues only at the expense of an anonymous benefactor. The erecting* repairing and improving of such public utilities and governmental buildings are enabled by government funding* not to mention unlimited support and contributions of citizens* local councils and the Netherlands office (TASH) in Shabwa for such projects and development projects. The people of Assaid are friendly* hospitable* forgiving and cooperative. They would willingly spare no effort to do good for their country. They support the noble goals of 26 September as well as 14 October* and stand by the Yemeni Unification. They are charitable and contribute to the betterment of social welfare. In the past* as there were fewer people in the town* they used to live together as one big family. They cooperated and supported each other building houses for the needy and providing at least rations for the builders. They also adhere to their customs and traditions* handed down from one generation to the next. This is why one could say that Assaid is indeed a twinkling star in the Yashbum Valley* to be imprinted in memory throughout the years and centuries to come....

المزيد...