Reflections by Stephen Coats based on the memoirs of Nancy Coats
Sana’a was not the only place we became familiar with, Yemen was a big country with many unknowns and we had to venture out and see what else was out there. Yemen boasts vast mountain ranges, lots of buttes, amazing islands, beautiful coastlines, epic deserts, and terraces galore that highlight the ingenuity and resourcefulness of the Yemeni farmers, which date back to the time of Christ and before. Much of the terrain reminded my family of what we left behind in eastern Oregon.
As a kid, no matter where you are in the world, nothing is better than the simple pleasure of throwing rocks. My sister, brother, cousins and I enjoyed the rocky hillsides and mountains of Yemen the most. Old stone castles graced the mountainsides and on our way hiking up to explore them we would roll large stones down the hill to see how far they would go and what they would collide with at the bottom. Other rocks would garner our interest so we would pick them up and keep them as souvenirs.
One of the most magnanimous and amazing places I remember from my time in Yemen as a boy was the famous House on the Rock of Wadi Dhahr. Wadi Dhahr was in a beautiful valley stretching hundreds of feet below the rim road from where we stopped on our way in to have a picnic and look down on the small town featuring this uniquely wondrous mansion. There were lots of rocks and one old tower on a rock ledge where us kids enjoyed playing. Then we wound our way down into the town. I remember the lush greenery of entangled grape vines that provided a natural fortress-like protection. There were high rock formations and hills on both sides. As our car approached the village, kids enjoyed running up and jumping onto the back of the vehicle while others just ran after us laughing. That part was not my dad’s favorite, he didn’t like being the object of much attention, and it surely wasn’t very safe for anyone.
We were introduced to the residents who seemed used to visitors coming to sight-see in their home town. Seemingly a flock of children followed us through the entire town, making remarks about my eyeglasses. I must have looked strange to them, but I was too busy taking in all the new sights and sounds to be offended. In fact, right in the middle of this green valley, beside a stream, towered a huge rock with a chiseled solid rock house on top! Literally a house set on top of a rock! We were in awe. Who could have constructed such a structure?
As avid readers of the Bible, we were very familiar with a popular parable that Jesus the Messiah tells of House on the Rock. This really brought that story to life in my mind. From that day forward whenever I heard the familiar story of the wise man who built his house on a rock, I just knew it had to be THIS house on THIS rock in Wadi Dhah! After all, foolish men build their houses on the low sandy ground that makes them vulnerable to storms and floods, but a wise man builds his house on the high ground with a firm foundation of solid, immovable stone. Surely this builder was a wise man!
The mansion was very impressive, but on this first visit we were not allowed inside it since a local Imam inhabited it. In later years it would became more of tourist attraction and even a museum. The entry of the house was around the back side, where it was not so steep. There were about 5 levels in the house. The top floor of any house in Yemen was the most important as it was the men’s area and they had the best windows and viewpoints from there.
Evidently the house was constructed as a summer residence for Imam Yahya in the 1920s. The palace has become something of a national symbol of Yemen. The house even has ancient subterranean wells that go right through the rock. According to Lonely Planet, one is apparently 275m deep.
As I reflect back on that amazing day in Wadi Dhahr, 40 years later, I pray for Yemen and for the Yemeni people. I want for them a firm foundation and a bright future filled with wisdom and insight for another generation. The House on the Rock of Wadi Dhahr is truly an inspiring symbol of the Yemeni spirit, which continues to endure the floodwaters of life that can be destructive and overwhelming. It also makes me appreciate my modest home in Dearborn, MI made of wood and aluminum that nestles my family among Yemeni neighbors who bring a taste of my childhood memories into my present day.
