Hadhramaut witches are one of the reasons tourists come to Yemen

For many centuries, people have developed a completely contradictory attitude towards witches. Some respect them and support them in everything, and someone is frankly afraid and dislike them.

The image of an evil witch on a broomstick, frightening everyone with her deep knowledge of magic, is largely imposed by fairy tales and other works of fiction. To meet a true witch in our time is a real rarity. But in one of the provinces of south Yemen, tourists can enjoy the image of a witch to their heart’s content.

Women living in the local province of Hadramaut dress up daily in the style of a fairy-tale fortune-teller, but in fact, they have nothing to do with magic. What is the reason for this appearance?

Tall straw hats are not just a decoration for the head, they save from the hot sun rays. Such an unusual headdress’s natural ventilation helps local women do difficult work every day in a hot climate.

The face of the beautiful half in this region is always covered with a niqab. A thin thread connects a kind of mask made of fabric between the eyes.

Regardless of the weather conditions, Hadhramaut women dress only in black clothes. Many believe that this is due to saving on laundry.

Fabrics for sewing outfits are chosen mainly from synthetic materials. Such materials are much cheaper than natural ones.

Traditional dresses are mostly sleeveless. The painted hands of the girl are covered separately with beautifully embroidered sleeves. They are fixed on the hands with the help of original bandages.

At the same time, on local women’s feet, you can often see ordinary Chinese sneakers or rubber slippers.

Different colors of hats and the choice of fabric for them depend on the master. Some hats have a rectangular shape, others, on the contrary, pointed.

Sometimes, at the sight of the unusual appearance of local women, traveling tourists try to take them off on camera, but do not forget that this is a sin for them. And many of the girls, seeing a camera in the hands of a visitor, can throw a cobblestone at him.

The smartest ladies have come up with a special trick: they just take off and hide their hats. Without her, the image of a witch becomes incomplete, and interest in her instantly disappears.