6 Photos that Show the Forgotten Beauty of Yemen

As heavy bombings continue to hail over Sanaa, BarakaBits wants to highlight the beauty of a country often misrepresented. Three Yemeni photographers and six pictures opening new windows on Yemen’s multi-faceted identity.

“Yemen has a magnificent history and a lot potential, and pictures hold great power to change its portrayal as the land of terrorism. A photo can transfer the kindness of the people to the world“, says Ziryab Al-Ghabri, a photographer who smashes stereotypes with jaw-dropping night shots.

“We want to show how small things around us could change our perspective on life and turn all evil to good,” he said in an interview with BarakaBits.

Photographer Yumna Al-Arashi shed a light on Yemen’s intriguing reflections, with a liberated sense of play that illuminates human life.

“I feel as though most Yemeni life is misrepresented and neglected. I don’t think many people who have no connection to Yemen know anything about it. It is so far away from the public sphere of cultures, and it’s also a vast country in so many ways,” she says.

Globally published and internationally acclaimed, Amira Al-Sharif highlights the multiple cultures within Yemen through the eyes, the face, and the hands of its women.

“These women are teaching me how to see the world. You look into their lives, see them fighting back when they are married early, or by force, or losing custody of their kids. They are dealing with all this injustice and they still hold their heads up, without complaining. It really makes you a different person,” she told BarakaBits.