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Khowdan is a small group of little villages, known as 'Ozla', 40 kilometers west of Yareem, Ibb governorate. Neighboring village groupings or ozal are Upper and Lower Bani Saif, Omar, Upper and Lower Mosalem, and Mobariz. Khowdan's population is around 30,000.
It is a green and mountainous region where people grow maize, sorghum, coffee, and some fruits and vegetables. These crops are directly consumed and cover part of the locals' needs.
Khowdan is inhabited by the descendants of a number of families with deeply rooted kinship lineages. In other words, at the end, they are all related.

The region is well known for its old traditions, which are handed down the generations. These traditions are often exhibited in wedding ceremonies, Eid and other social celebrations. Zamil - a popular form of singing - is performed by the groom's family and the guests chant along. They often praise the generosity, bravery, and integrity of their kinsmen.

Other zamils honor the sheikh of the tribe for his esteemed status and good leadership of his folk and other tribesmen. Khowdan has become an example for all other tribes because of their sheikh's excellent leadership.
Wedding ceremonies are exceptionally colorful here. The ceremony usually starts after sunset and goes on for at least two hours. The bride's mother carries a large bowl of henna on her head and carries a jambia with her right hand. She is accompanied by another female relative of the bride who carries a small, nicely made and lit burner or stove called Mazhaza in local dialect. This little stove is usually adorned with painted eggs and scented herbs.

The two women then pass through two semi-circles of men, who exchange customary greetings, words expressing their courage and other pleasantries.
A similar ceremony is also held for the bridegroom, except that the person who carries the little Mazhaza is his friend, nd the henna is carried by a relative. Female relatives of the bridegroom, on the other hand, do not take part in the procession. They stay at his home ululating and singing various types of songs specially for the occasion. Meanwhile, small fires are lit on roof tops and drums are beaten.

Khowdan thus represents a novel tourist attraction as these old traditions are still practiced today, much to the surprise of other Yemenis who abandoned many of their old ways.
Moreover, Khowdan is rich in archeological sites and historical locations such as Shamar, Reiman, Mahfad, Masnaa, and others. In Shamar, for example, there is a house on top of big rock with steps leading from the ground level. Inside the house there are little beautifully constructed pools.
From the top of the Khowdan mountain any visitor can see Ibb and many mountains in the background.

The first tourist who came to Khowdan four months ago was a Frenchman. He was extremely delighted with what he saw, and left with an excellent impression of the area and its people.

Yahya Mohammed Nashwan,
College of Journalism,
Sanaa University

A workshop was recently held at the Halaqa art center for graphic artists from all over the world. Under the expertise of some well known artists like Amin Nasher and Mahzer Nizar, artists were guided on how to cut, engrave and ink plates as well as how to use the torque properly. The beauty of this workshop was that people of various backgrounds were able to compare their methods and give advise to fellow artists. Etching is well diffused in the western world but here in Yemen relatively few people know about how its done.

Artists here use copper or zinc plates. The plate is cut to the desired size and the surface as in the case of the zinc has to be prepared and sanded before the incisions are made.
The edges are chiseled down to about a 45 degree angle to the plate and the corners are rounded. Various tools are chosen for the incisions, there are specialized engraving tools on the market. Obviously a wider point will cause a wider cut on the plate and a narrower point will do the opposite. Then for dry point etching, the plate is covered with a layer of black ink or any other desired color. Combinations of colors can be applied to get a richer effect. The die is then first cleaned with some gauze and the remaining ink is wiped cleaned with some onion skin paper if available.

I found myself using my bare hands to clean off the excess ink before printing. In Yemen artist supplies are expensive, so I didn't mind the transformation and the results are just a good if not superior. The plate is then ready for printing; care should be taken to adjust the pressure on the torque cylinder before printing. A heavy grade graphic paper has been soaked prior to the printing and been blotted dry. This will facilitate the transfer of the ink to the paper. The torque is supplied with a special felt cloth used to cover the paper being printed. A register for the engraved plate is placed under the engraved plate to keep the plate in position.

There are other variations to dry point etching, such as in covering desired sections of the plate with a wax before inking and exposing various sections of it to a dilute nitric acid bath. The acid has the effect of making the incision more prominent. Some artists prefer to heat a certain resin on the plate before it is immersed in the acid bath. This gives a fine, bubbly effect to the biting action of the acid. Others prefer an iron chloride treatment or this in addition to the acid, as the biting is better. In the end what's important is the desired effect.

By: Martin Dansky,
Yemen Times