Yakhtul ( ar, يختل) is a large coastal fishing village in the
Taiz Governorate of southwestern Yemen. Yakhtul is located about "two German leagues (10 miles) north of the city of
Mocha."
It contains a number of white houses, the Yakhtul Mosque and a school.
History
During World War I, British patrol vessels shelled
Dhubab
Dhubab is a small coastal town in the Taiz Governorate of south-western Yemen. It is the seat of Dhubab District.
History
During World War I, British patrol vessels shelled Dhubab fort in November 1914. They later opened fire on Yakhtul on 8 Dec ...
fort in November 1914 and opened fire on Yakhtul on 8 December 1914, damaging 7 or 8
dhows moored there.
Geography
Yakhtul lies on the coast of the
Red Sea
The Red Sea ( ar, البحر الأحمر - بحر القلزم, translit=Modern: al-Baḥr al-ʾAḥmar, Medieval: Baḥr al-Qulzum; or ; Coptic: ⲫⲓⲟⲙ ⲛ̀ϩⲁϩ ''Phiom Enhah'' or ⲫⲓⲟⲙ ⲛ̀ϣⲁⲣⲓ ''Phiom ǹšari''; T ...
, at the head of a small shoal inlet, north of Mocha.
Jirdan lies farther to the north of Yakhtul,
'Abus to the southeast and
Kudhaysah to the northeast.
The stretch between Yakhtul and
Marsa Farjah has numerous sand and coral patches which give the sea a dark grey colour.
The stretch between Yakhtul and
Al Zahari contains coastal palm groves.
Economy
MEED describes Yakhtul as being tourist oriented.
Fishing is a major source of income for the locals.
As of 1996, despite many of the houses having their own wells, high water salinity meant that it could only be used for bathing and cleaning, and drinking water had to be imported.
However, the local diet is said to meet the
World Health Organization
The World Health Organization (WHO) is a specialized agency of the United Nations responsible for international public health. The WHO Constitution states its main objective as "the attainment by all peoples of the highest possible level of h ...
minimum requirements, with a plentiful supply of nutrients from fresh fish and other local commodities.
A French medical team was reported to be operating in Yakhtul in the mid-1980s.
Notable landmarks
Yakhtul is described as consisting of "a few white houses, some huts, and a mosque."
The town contains
Yakhtul Mosque, which was said to have been "built at the expense of the good people of the area at a cost of one million
riyals."
The same man who built the mosque also established Yakhtul preparatory school in the town, at a cost of 150,000 riyals.
The "first phases of construction work" were reported to have been completed in 1989.
At the village is what is called "Dar al-milh" (the place of salt). The
salt pans, called ''darah'' are said to be "cut out of the hard ground and the soil heaped up on the sides to form bunds (''zabir al-darah'').
References
{{Reflist, 2
Populated places in Taiz Governorate
Populated coastal places in Yemen
Villages in Yemen